Club at East Hartford Parish Builds Bonds, Nourishes the Souls
Story by Jim Tierney
At the heart of the North American Martyrs Adult Social Club in East Hartford is something simple but powerful: people who show up for one another. For many members, the club is the one place where they know they will be greeted by name, welcomed with a smile and surrounded by others who genuinely care about them.
Being a member of the Adult Social Club for St. Christopher and St. Mary churches is far more than attending a monthly meeting; it is a lifeline of friendship, purpose and joy for older adults who might otherwise feel isolated.
Jean Nowik, a member for more than 10 years, uses one word to describe why she loves the club. “Friendship,” she says.
For many older members who don’t use computers, Nowik adds, the club is their main social connection. “It’s like visiting old friends,” she explains. “There is a great sense of community.”
The club’s caring spirit runs deep. Members drive one another to gatherings, celebrate birthdays and look out for anyone who needs help. This spirit of dedication is reflected in longtime member and club president Joan Perrone.
Perrone has been part of the St. Christopher Church community in East Hartford since 1962, raising her family there and building lasting friendships through its many social groups. After her husband Frank’s passing last May, she continues helping the club thrive by working with other members to prepare and set up for the meetings, which are held at St. Christopher Church.
What keeps members, ranging in age from 60 to 95, coming back?
“They like us and how we treat them,” Perrone says. “They don’t have to drive very far to get there, they like the entertainment and they like meeting up with their friends and acquaintances. I believe they have fun and laugh a lot.”
Long before each meeting begins, dedicated members arrive to prepare the hall — setting up tables, arranging name badges, testing sound equipment and making sure the smell of fresh coffee fills the room.
And when those doors open, the atmosphere shifts completely. The room erupts into laughter, whether it is triggered by someone wearing a funny hat at the Funtucky Derby, a spontaneous game of make-believe baseball or comedic antics.
The club though is serious about one thing only: making sure people enjoy themselves. The themes, decorations, speakers, entertainment, music and games are chosen with the same purpose — to give members something to look forward to, to smile about and to cherish.
With an aging membership and volunteers that are hard to find, the club remains a testament to what can happen when people care enough to keep showing up, Perrone says.
“I don’t know for sure how we have impacted members’ lives or relationships, but I believe we have given them some small moments of fun, entertainment and inclusion,” she says. “All I can do is try to make sure that when they come in those hall doors, they enjoy themselves. If that makes them a little happier when they leave, I’m happy.”