Kerry Smyth

There are some really special people who work here at Newcomers Welcome Service. All of our representatives work hard to bring a little comfort to people who have just moved to town. I feel honored to have the opportunity to work with them.

One of those special people is Gretchen Farah. Many of the Realtors here in Ann Arbor, Michigan know and respect Gretchen. She worked for the business for 5 years, owned it for 23 years, sold the business 2 years ago, but continues to be a representative. She is the prototypical "Welcome Lady".

She has lots of stories to tell about her experiences with helping new folks get settled in. This is the story she says really sums up why she has been involved with Newcomers Welcome Service for so many years.

Several years ago, Gretchen visited the wife of the General Counsel for the University of Michigan. The lady had moved from out of state, didn't know anyone in the area, and was feeling at loose ends. Gretchen brought her a Welcome Packet with lots of material about Ann Arbor and the surrounding area, gifts from local businesses, and information about services. The Newcomer was very enthusiastic about the packet and at the end of the visit simply said, "Thank you. You've given me back my life."

Don't forget, if you close a house for, or know, someone who is new to the area you can call us to arrange a Welcome Packet for them.

We serve Ann Arbor, Canton, Chelsea, Dexter, Plymouth, Saline, and Ypsilanti, MI. Everywhere else, watch we may be coming to your area soon!

Our Welcome Representatives are some of the most caring people that you will ever find. Every day I feel honored by the opportunity to work with them. They love their communities, the businesses that sponsor our Welcome Packets, and the Realtors and others who help us reach out to new folks. Here is a story from Bev, our Representative in the North part of Ann Arbor, about a visit she recently went on. You can see that our Reps go the extra mile to help their new neighbors....

"I visited and delivered a welcome packet to a woman who is from Brazil. Her parents had been living in Louisiana, their home became a Hurricane Katrina victim, and they relocated to Detroit. The parents were struggling so the daughter packed up and moved here from Brazil to help her parents. She found a position with the University of Michigan and they moved to Ann Arbor. Other than her parents, the daughter didn't know anyone from the area and was homesick for Brazil. It happens that I have a friend who is from Brazil so I introduced the two of them. They immediately began to chatter in Portuguese, there was a lot of laughter. These two women have become good friend and I gained a new friend in the process. It's a great perk of being a Welcome Representative!"

The first time I sold a house (way back in 1975) I took the advice of my Realtor and cleared out all of the unused and unwanted items. It was great advice, my home sold quickly and we got lots of comments about how clean our house looked. Back then we just cleaned out and shipped everything off to the landfill. I have since sold several more homes and repeated the cleaning process. The difference is that I have accumulated a group of resources for disposing of items that someone else might be able to use.

Sometimes people move first and then realize they don't want everything they brought with them. So Newcomers Welcome Service includes information in our free Welcome Packet about recycling usable items. Here are some of my favorite places:

ReUse Center. Part of Recycle Ann Arbor, this store is terrific. They accept donations of household and building items (not clothing). It's also a fun place to rummage around for items you want to buy. In my house, I have a toaster ($2.), a rice cooker ($5.), a waffle iron ($2.) and a Total Gym ($15) that I found while shopping there. They are located at 2420 S. Industrial Hwy, 734-222-7880. You can check them out on the web at www.recycleannarbor.org. Donations are tax deductible.

Children's Orchard. For kids clothes, toys, and equipment you can't beat this store. Take in items that have been outgrown. They will buy what they can resell in the store and you can donate the rest to either the Salvation Army or Washtenaw County Support & Treatment Services (they have a location at Kaiser School in the Willow Run School district where folks in need can get children and adult clothing free of charge) What a deal, get a little money and make a charitable donation at the same location! Shopping there is fun, too. I buy lots of clothes for my nieces and nephews and the prices are great. They are located at 887 Eisenhower, 734-995-8889. Check them out on the web at www.childrensorchard.com. You can get a tax receipt for items that you donate. Check with the store for details.

Purple Heart. For clothing, books, small household items. I love this group because they come to your house and pick up. You can request a pick up from their website- http://www.purpleheartpickup.org/. Since I started donating they call several days before they are going to have a truck in the area. I clean out an area of the house and leave the items out on their pick up day. Very convenient. Donations are tax deductible.

I Sold It On eBay. For collectible and higher value items, I drop these off at the I Sold It On eBay store. They take the pictures, post the items, collect the funds, and mail a check. Very easy. They are located at 889B W. Eisenhower Pkwy, 734-761-6187. Check them out on the web at www.isolditannarbor.com.