Submitted Photo Jean Dorn, left, and Cheryl Rayer pose with a welcome basket at Christ Community Church, Rugby.

Baskets of fresh bread, homemade soup ingredients, and helpful information about living in Rugby are in store for newcomers to town, courtesy of the Rugby Chamber of Commerce and Christ Community Church.

The joint effort revives a local custom that had been popular years ago in the community, according to Rugby Chamber Executive Director Laurie Odden.

“It used to be really big,” Odden said of the Rugby Welcome Wagon, a project that gave new residents samples and coupons from local businesses and tips to help them get acquainted with their community.

“There was a group – I believe it was the Lions Club – they used to welcome people into town,” Odden said. “Then, it went on the back burner. This was something I always wanted to do, but it’s something one person can’t do alone.”

The Rev. Gary Dorn, who is a pastor at Christ Community Church in Rugby and serves as chaplain for Heart of America Medical Center, said he noticed a need to help hospital employees who were new to Rugby learn about their community.

Dorn’s daughter, Sarah Musser, who also worked at HAMC, suggested creating flyers with lists of goods and services from businesses and local government for newcomers to use. Then, Dorn’s wife, Jean, decided to add a welcoming touch.

“There’s just something about homemade bread,” Jean Dorn said. Jean added she bakes and slices 6-12 loaves of bread per week, made from special higher-gluten flour milled by members of the Mennonite Church in Wisconsin. Jean said she decided to add packages of dry soup mix for recipients to make pots of soup to go with the bread and placed the food, lists, and devotional booklets in baskets to create welcome packages tied up in clear plastic.

The Dorns moved from Wisconsin to North Dakota in 2000, first settling in Dunseith, then Rugby in 2015. Jean Dorn said the family moved due to job openings at HAMC, but they felt welcome in their communities from the beginning.

When Odden found out about the Dorns’ welcome basket project, she eagerly added her help.

“Pastor Gary and I were talking about doing this together and it’s been kind of fun,” Odden said.

The chamber used the church’s list to create an informational flyer for newcomers.

“I reached out to chamber members and asked them for things to put in the bag just to let people know they have a business and they’re here in town,” Odden said. “I’ve gotten a range of things from businesses. I’ve got magnets; I’ve got coupons – there are some really nice coupons in there that I’ve gotten. I’ve gotten flashlights – just little things they have to promote their business. We’re certainly willing to put them in the welcome bags.”

Odden said the chamber gets information about new residents in town from the City of Rugby government office, who supplies the names of new city utility customers.

“If they receive water service, that’s how we get their name and when they’re moving to town,” Odden said. “I feel like we’ve welcomed 18 people to Rugby so far and October was when we started doing this.”

Odden said she appreciates the help she gets from area businesses and organizations to supply information even long-time residents might not know.

“When I had just started this job, a lady came into our office and made the comment, ‘I’ve been here for two years and I never knew we had gymnastics for kids.’ That was one thing that stuck in my head, like, what are we missing?” Odden said.

Information needed

“Are there things going on that people don’t know about? It made me sit back and think,” Odden said. “If I was new to town, what are some things I really wish that I really knew about this community? Part of the struggle is, I have to say, I don’t know everything that goes on in this town, either. So, I need people to give me the information,” Odden added. “Anything people want (the community) to know, I can be a good hub for that information.”

Many businesses contacted by Odden have responded to the welcome basket project with enthusiasm, she said. Some have provided small gifts for newcomers.

Odden said so many items for the welcome baskets have come in, the Dorns and church member Cheryl Rayer, who put the baskets together, have considered upsizing to small totes to fit everything in.

Odden listed some of the gifts for welcome baskets received so far, “We have a strainer from First International Bank and Trust and a stress football from Rugby Dental. Arnold’s Misfit Acres has a flashlight. La Bella Vita Salon has lip balm. Main Street Boutique gives them a small sample of olive oil and a gift certificate. One thing that’s cool is the Granary Grill is giving them a coupon for a free meal. The Rugby Greenhouse has a certificate for a free rose. Anytime Fitness gives out a gift certificate for $50 off a membership. We’ve got flyers for the schools and the Lions Club in here. We have can cozies; pens, sticky notes, key chains, magnets, all kinds of fun stuff.

“We’re pretty excited about it. People have to know about your business to come in,” Odden added. “It’s been fun giving out the baskets. People are pretty surprised. They’re like, ‘Oh, this is for me?'”

Odden said, “We had an older couple who had just come to town. They work in Rolette. They said, ‘This is just so nice.’ It’s nice to hear people’s stories about why they chose to move to Rugby.

“Most (newcomers) have been pleasant and have shared their stories with me,” Odden added. “They like Rugby.”