Dedham women warmly welcome newcomers

Published by The Boston Globe

Jennifer Barsamian and Monika Wilkinson stood on the steps of a stranger’s home on Saturday morning, holding a bouquet of flowers and a bag of goodies. After no one answered the doorbell, they rang again.

“Sometimes flowers are the only thing that gets the door open,” said Wilkinson.

Kevin Kline opened the door of his new Dedham home. Despite his surprise to see the Dedham Welcome Wagon, he invited them in and showed him the living room.

“This is hilarious,” said Kline, who just moved to town from the South End in Boston. “We’ve been joking for a few weeks [about] when’s the next crock pot?”


Barsamian and Wilkinson, teachers and each mothers of three, visit ten new homes in Dedham every month, greeting new neighbors and passing out information about recycling, the Farmers’ Market and a welcome party they are having next month. If the unsuspecting new neighbor stays out to chat, the pair get to know the new neighbors, praise the local schools and exclaim over what they’ve done with the place. Barsamian also blogs at Dedham Rocks.

“It took us a couple of years to feel like we were beginning to get a sense of the town,” said Wilkinson, who moved to Dedham six years ago.

Though most people still haven’t heard about the Welcome Wagon, which they began in March, Barsamian and Wilkinson are making strides with their project. They don’t use a GPS, and finding all the new homes proved a challenge for them in the beginning. Now, they deliver ten welcome packages in a couple of hours, filled with goodies from local businesses and their sponsors, Needham Bank and Donahue Real Estate.

“It’s so good you guys do this,” said Rachel McGregor, who moved to Willow Street. “It makes people feel good.”

“Well, it makes us feel good, too!” said Barsamian as she waved goodbye.

Many people buy their first home in Dedham for affordability and proximity to easy commuting but realize they want to stay, the welcomers said. Barsamian and Wilkinson hope to build a sense of community for the newcomers, sometimes even providing networking between residents.

Lisa Dickey, who recently moved to Dedham from Ashland, said finding her place in a new town is difficult because she is single and does not have access to the organizations a family would provide.

“It’s hard to feel like you can settle,” said Dickey. “But here, I’ve got a house I love, a beautiful neighborhood and neighbors who brought me homemade brownies when I moved in.”