New program will help new residents of Decorah "find their place"

The Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce, NICC and Winneshiek County Development and Tourism will debut a program at the end of March to help new residents discover what Winneshiek County has to offer.

"We hear from newcomers that they have a hard time finding their place.  How can we facilitate people feeling at home?" asks Chamber Executive Director Kristina Wiltgen.

The "Distinctively Winneshiek" program will help create a platform to share information about resources, activities, and volunteer opportunities in the county.

Another goal is to create a network of people in similar situations or who have similar interests. While the target audience is people who are new to the area, anyone who might benefit from this type of information is encouraged to attend the sessions.

The sessions will be on five consecutive Tuesdays with the first session on March 24th. The group will meet at a new location around the county each week. Wiltgen says they've already booked PIVO Brewery, Fireman's Inn, Pulpit Rock Brewing Company, T-Bock's and Winneshiek Wildberry Winery for this spring.

Each session will include a panel discussion and an activity.  For example, the PIVO night will be centered around arts and culture of Winneshiek County, and the group will be making kolaches.

The spring program will be open to 20 people.  The same 20 people are encouraged to attend all five gatherings. "If it is wildly popular, we will replicate sessions for the fall," says Wiltgen.

Registration details will be available soon on the Chamber's website. In the meantime, anyone interested in learning more about this program should call Wiltgen at (563) 382-3990 or stop in at the Chamber office.