Moving away from your hometown can come with many blessings. But for some, it also comes with just as many bouts of loneliness. That ache of not knowing where to meet people, or grieving the friends you left behind, comes in waves. Workplaces and churches can sometimes provide ready-made communities, but what happens when they don’t? Where do you go to find true belonging?
For many in Salt Lake City, the answer has been the Newcomers Club. Founded in 1948, when three women and a Welcome Wagon hostess decided to “help strangers become neighbors,” the club has been a lifeline for thousands of residents over the decades. By the end of that first year, membership had grown to 100, and today the group boasts 247 members hailing from eight countries and 45 states.
For Carmen von Bothmer, who moved to Utah from northern Germany 22 years ago, the Newcomers Club turned strangers into lifelong friends. “There is always something fun to do and new people to meet,” she says. Her journey began when she ran into a few women from the club playing golf, who quickly invited her to join. She’s been a devoted member ever since, finding joy in hiking, golf, and the Smiling Grapes wine group.
Lucy Thorstensen, the club’s current president, knows firsthand the importance of building community. A newcomer herself from Seaside, Oregon, she moved to Utah after realizing, at 75, that chopping her own firewood was no longer practical. “The best part of being a newcomer is that we welcome people from all walks of life,” she says. “If you want to cook, we have a cooking group. If you want to fish, we can find a fishing group for you.”
That variety is what makes the club thrive. Members can join activity groups ranging from book clubs and wine tasting circles to golf, hiking, skiing, and card games. There are also supper clubs, crafts, concerts, museum tours, and even a “ROMEO” group (Retired Old Men Eating Out) because, as Lucy puts it, “friendship isn’t just for the ladies.”
Social highlights include the monthly coffee gatherings, held on the second Tuesday at different venues, and the Saturday Night Live Dinner Party — a favorite where laughter and conversation flow as easily as the food. Guest speakers, ranging from historians to nonprofit leaders, add inspiration and connection to these events.
The club isn’t flashy, and many folks don’t even know it exists. But that’s part of its quiet magic. Over the decades, the Newcomers Club has donated more than $200,000 to local charities and volunteer opportunities with multiple organizations, while helping individuals plant roots in a new city.
For some members, the club has become a second family; for others, it has turned a once-intimidating move into the start of a brand-new adventure. In a city where mountains rise like fortresses and growth brings wave after wave of new faces, the Newcomers Club offers something rare and essential: a sense of belonging.
Feature Image: Getting together for a day on the slopes, is just one of the many activities sponsored by the Newcomers Club. Photos courtesy of Lucy Thorstensen.
