A new civic organization wants to promote bonds in Needham — the human kind. Needham Circle will hold its fall kickoff at the town common Sept. 19 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Cofounders Avery Newton and Dina Creiger said their goal is to build a more connected town. The duo has been working toward this debut event for more than a year.
In May, about 40 people attended a discussion sponsored by Newton and Creiger at the library. They collected 167 ideas about how to make Needham a more connected place. Now Needham Circle is considering summer evening get-togethers similar to Natick Nights or bringing a porch fest to town. Creiger and Newton envision sponsoring conversations on the common with Needham business owners, and Creiger hopes to revive the tradition of welcoming newcomers to town.
Finding more effective ways to use public spaces like the town common is a primary goal for Needham Circle, starting with Saturday’s event. Newton, a nine-year Needham resident, said there will be a newcomers table with a variety of information such as how Needham town government operates and ways to create stronger neighborhood connections. There will be a DJ, games for adults and children and a balloon artist.
There also will be a “let’s chat table” with prompts designed to spark conversations. “It might say, ‘community feels like X to me,’” Creiger said. “It’s really inviting people to get to know one another.”
One of their goals, she said, is to build more intergenerational links in Needham. Her relationship with Newton itself bucks the trend of age-based segregation. Newton has three young children; Creiger is a couple of decades past that phase of life.
And “I love and really value my village,” said Newton, an educational researcher who also focuses on workforce development. “I’m hoping to expand what we’ve been so fortunate to find in Needham so that more people can have the same experience that we’re having.”
She pointed to the popularity of the Stray Moms group on WhatsApp as evidence that her sense of connection is far from universal.
Creiger, a 20-year Needham resident and first-term Town Meeting member, founded ChoosetoBeNice.com, an organization that has worked with many schools. She said the goals of Needham Circle parallel her professional work. She saw a need for more connectedness in Needham during the debate over the MBTA Communities Act and the Muzi property.
Creiger was clear that the group is not about politics. She said an advocacy group asked for a table at Saturday’s event, but the request was politely rejected.
An organization flexible enough to support its members to pursue their own ideas is what Creiger hopes to foster. “We want folks to find something that they’re passionate about and want them to run with it.”
She said one member is planning a game night, and there has been discussion of starting a book club.
The website offers links to information about Needham from a wide variety of sources and combines community calendars from about a dozen sources, Newton said. “Our goal is to create these shared connections and have some fun.”
The two women hope to draw a large cross-section of town residents this Saturday. Participants are asked to bring their own refreshments.
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