By james art Jenny Nay welcomes newcomers to Madison and helps them acclimate to the city as she serves as co-president of the Madison Newcomers Club. Photo courtesy of Jenny Nay
Although Madison may not be one of the largest cities in Connecticut, it can still be a challenge for new people and new families to get used to the city. The process of finding where to go and who to talk to can be daunting. However, Jenny Ney and the Madison Newcomers Club, an organization run by the city’s residents, are helping make this process run smoothly for the people of Madison.
Jenny is one of the new co-chairs of the Newcomers Club of Madison, a civic organization that not only works to help people who are new to the city and want to find their footing in the community, but also works with small businesses to help give them more grip and support.
“We are working to sponsor two organizations this year,” says Jenny. “Our members can donate and support these small and local businesses in the community.”
Jenny originally started out as a member of the Madison Newcomers Club and then became the organization’s treasurer, crediting the club with helping her acclimate to the city. The Newcomers Club of Madison supports small businesses in the community, in addition to other organizations and clubs in the local area. Jenny says the club is proud to work alongside these other organizations to help as many people as possible in the city. Over the past two months, the club has held events in collaboration with American Legion Post 79 and the Madison Arts Barn, among others.
One event the organization holds for all families is called Touch a Truck. This event is aimed at younger children and allows families to spend a nice day out in the spring looking at interesting vehicles of all kinds. Cars, trucks and other vehicles gather in the surf club parking lot for an event that brings the community together while giving young children and adults alike the opportunity to see different types of fascinating vehicles that they may not be used to seeing .
Jenny mentions how much her own children enjoy the Touch a Truck event, along with its other key goals.
“My kids especially love this event,” she says. “It’s also a good way for these local businesses to get involved in their communities. Some of the vehicles we have on display are promoting businesses in the area.”
In addition to small businesses, Jenny’s involvement in the Madison community extends to the city’s education system. Jenny, in tandem with the Madison Newcomers Club, helps raise money to fund scholarships for students who attend Daniel Hand High School. By doing so, they help these students be able to go to the schools they want and help their families afford it.
Jenny also volunteers with The Wonder Project, an organization that tries to teach children about empathy, inclusion and anti-bullying at an early age. While the organization originally started in Brooklyn, New York, Jenny has tried to bring the project’s message to Ryerson Elementary School, which her children attend.
Jenny recently took her position as co-president even further by creating an Instagram account called @midcoastaleats with fellow Madison resident Brittany Fischer to curate local restaurants for people in the coastal area. These include locations from New Haven all the way to Old Saybrook. Their reviews not only provide people with viable restaurant options in the area, but also give them an overview of the ambiance and aesthetics, as well as the food and drinks. They have already provided reviews for numerous restaurants in the area.
Jenny has lived in Madison for two years, moving to the city with her husband and two children after living in the New York metropolitan area for nearly a decade. She originally grew up across Connecticut in Suffield. Jenny was a freelance horn player in New York before moving to Madison, even performing on Broadway, and now works as a data scientist for the federal government. She still plays French horn in orchestras such as the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.