Tara Jeffrey
Ellan Dickieson is hoping ‘Sarnia’s Little Women’ will grow to be a successful meeting ground for the 20-and-30-something crowd in the area.
“I’m new to Sarnia, and am just trying to get involved in the community,” said the 29-year-old PEI native, who moved to Sarnia with her partner in June.
“I thought it would be good for young people like myself to get together, without being attached to any specific cause or purpose -- just general and open.”
Dickieson started an online meetup group this month called Sarnia’s Little Women, pitched as “a sisterhood of Sarnia’s young women (20s and 30s) who want to get out and do something.”
The first get-together is planned for Tuesday, Jan. 12 at the Refined Fool brewery at 7 p.m.
“I’m hoping from there that we can brainstorm some ideas that people want to do. It could be anything -- meet for coffee and exchange books, go out on a first Friday, meet downtown for supper... I’m open to anything.
“The main idea,” she added, “is just to get out. Especially with winter here; we can all get stuck in our houses, because it gets dark at 5 p.m.”
Dickieson has recruited at least six young women who are interested and is hoping to keep spreading the word.
Meetups are a growing trend designed to bring together like-minded people in their own communities.
“They’re really popular in other cities,” Dickieson noted. “It’s all about being willing to meet new people and do different things.”
A second event, a movie night, is planned for Tuesday, Feb 16.
“I just thought I’d put it out there and see what happens,” said Dickieson. “It could take a month to build it, or it could take a year.
“That’s the joy of meetups; you have to kind of put yourself out there and hope that it works.”
More information about Sarnia’s Little Women Meetup group is available at www.meetup.com/SarniasLittleWomen/