Moving to a new community is a significant transition. Along with the practical details of packing and planning, there may be excitement, uncertainty, and many questions about what daily life will be like. RiverMead’s Welcome Committee helps make that transition feel more personal, manageable, and reassuring.
The committee is made up of caring resident volunteers who begin connecting with future neighbors before the moving truck arrives. That early outreach gives incoming residents a familiar person to turn to, helping them feel more informed and comfortable as moving day approaches.
Each month, the committee reviews upcoming arrivals, assigns resident hosts, and considers the information and support that may be most helpful. Hosts and new residents are thoughtfully matched based on shared interests, existing friendships, where they are moving from or where they will live at RiverMead, and the kind of guidance they may appreciate most.
A host serves as a familiar connection throughout the transition. They may meet with the new resident before the move, extend an invitation to dinner or a community event, answer questions, and help introduce the people, places, and routines that make RiverMead feel like home. They provide a packet full of helpful information for their reference over the first few months.
For residents who are coming from outside of the Peterborough area, the committee makes sure they receive a welcome basket filled from the town with community information, coupons, and items from local businesses. Volunteers assist residents with setting up their profiles on Go Icon, RiverMead’s community app for accessing services, amenities, activities, and announcements.
After moving in, residents are invited to new resident information sessions held twice each month. These gatherings cover practical topics such as technology services, dining, and healthcare. Although each session follows a general structure, the conversation is flexible and often shaped by the specific questions of those attending. Residents are welcome to participate as many times as they find helpful. . Periodically residents are offered a narrated tour of the town to help them feel comfortable accessing all that Peterborough has to offer.
About a month after the move, hosts offer a tour of the Health Center. This gives new residents an opportunity to become familiar with the wellness, therapy and Home Health services, while gaining a clearer understanding of RiverMead’s healthcare continuum. Learning about these resources in a relaxed and welcoming way can make the future feel less uncertain
RiverMead also hosts a new resident welcome social each quarter. These informal gatherings provide another opportunity for introductions, conversation, and connection with residents and staff from throughout the community.
Cathy Gray, chair of the Welcome Committee, helps guide this important work. She shares, “Members of the Welcome Committee are committed to making the welcome process for new residents as comfortable as possible and adjust the process to best meet each person’s needs. We want new residents to be well-supported and love their new community as we do!”
Through every invitation, introduction, and answered question, the Welcome Committee reminds new residents that they do not have to navigate this transition alone. A sense of belonging begins well before moving day.
