New Resident Member Club

Lead: Pratha Francis

It is daunting to move to a new place, and doubly so when one moves to a new country. As many of us have made this journey, we understand the challenges any new family experiences with such a significant change. While many of the challenges are hard problems that can be solved with correct information, many softer issues that accompany a move remain before you can create a happy new life. One must understand the new culture, values, and motivations of the new community while preserving our own and nurturing a fresh network of friends. IAL's New Resident Member Club was launched in September of last year. The purpose of this Club is to welcome new resident families into town and assist them with resources & information to conduct their daily lives. Additionally, the Club also aims to provide the new residents with a platform to meet other new and old residents. To support this goal, we have designed two events for our new resident families of Lexington. 

New Member Meetup

This is a quarterly afternoon event where we receive new families for a social meeting to meet our older residents and meet each other. IAL's new resident initiative organized two virtual meet-and-greet events in March and September 2023. The meetups were a huge success where new residents had an opportunity to meet each other, form social connections, and get answers to their questions about life in Lexington. 

These events were attended by newcomers, IAL members as well as School Committee member Deepika Sawhney. The topics discussed were related to their journey of transition, finding local resources, questions related to the school system and college admissions etc. The event was received well, and the attendees found value in the initiative.

Online Resources

We continue to take feedback from new families attending our New Member Meetups and updating online resources on our website. Please check our website and our promotion on social media and our newsletter for our next meeting and join us for a lively as well as informative conversation. Visit our website for more details:


Saturday, 17th Dec 2022

Saturday, 18th Mar 2023

Saturday, 3rd June 2023

Please register here

2. Walking Group - This is a weekly morning walking group for day time attendees. The purpose of the group is to give an opportunity to new members who are available during daytime to meet each other in a casual setting and take the  time to explore the neighborhood.

Please sign up on the email - newmembers.ial@gmail.com

Find below a list of some helpful resources, web links and fb Groups 

Grocery Stores in the neighborhood

Indian Grocery

South Asian Grocery Stores - A selection of a few grocery stores are located at 120 Cambridge Street , Burlington MA 01803

  • Spiceland, 120 Cambridge Street, Burlington, MA

  • Apna Bazaar, 335 Washington St, Woburn, MA 01801

  • Towne Market, 120 Cambridge Street, Burlington, MA

  • Patel Brother in Waltham at 425 Moody St, Waltham, MA 02453

Pharmacy, Covid Test and Vaccination, Urgent Care

Lexington Public School

Driving School

Gardening Store

Outdoor

Hardware & Home Improvement

Pet & Related

Health and Wellbeing

Indian Restaurant

Activities


Town related information - https://www.lexingtonma.gov

Here you can also find a list of community organizations. It includes links to various websites related to Education, Culture & Arts, Children and Teen Groups, Social , Religious Groups etc

https://www.lexingtonma.gov/home/pages/community-organizations

Trash & Recycling - https://www.lexingtonma.gov/environmental-services?bb

Apps, FaceBook and Whatsapp Groups - 

Find out information about trails in your area - https://www.alltrails.com

nextdoor - https://nextdoor.com

It's a great app through which you can exchange recommendations, read the latest local news, get updates from public agencies, buy, borrow  or sell household things.

Whatsapp Groups for Desis

  • LEXFAMILY 2 to be added to the group contact (Will call and confirm with the admin if I can publish this info on the website)

  • SHARE OR GIVEAWAY LEXGRP (Will call and confirm with the admin if I can publish this info on the website)

FB Groups - On FB there are many groups that provide helpful information. Below are selected few that are most helpful for a diverse set of queries you might have right from finding a dentist, vet, plumber, property agent, pet groomer to a favorite restaurant. 

Do you have any specific questions or suggestions? Write to us on newmembers.ial@gmail.com or visit our fb page to reach out to our members for recommendations. Our members will be happy to provide any support or information required

Find out about our other initiatives  - https://www.indianamericansoflexington.org