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10/23/2024 08:30 AMWhile Madison may not be one of the biggest towns in Connecticut, it can still be challenging for new people and new families to get accustomed to the town. The process of finding out where to go and who to talk to can be a daunting one. However, Jenny Ney and the Madison Newcomers Club, an organization run by town residents, are helping to make that process go smoothly for people in Madison.
Jenny is one of the new co-presidents of the Madison Newcomers Club, a civic organization which not only works to assist people who are new to town and looking to find their footing within the community, but also works with small businesses in order to help get them more traction and support.
“This year, we are working towards sponsoring two organizations,” Jenny says. “Our members can make donations and provide support to those small and local businesses in the community.”
Jenny originally started as a member of the Madison Newcomers Club and then transitioned into the organization's treasurer, crediting the club with helping her get acclimated to the town. The Madison Newcomers Club assists with small businesses in the community, in addition to other organizations and clubs in the local area. Jenny says the club prides itself on working together with these other organizations to assist as many people in the town as possible. During the past two months, the club has held events in cooperation with American Legion Post 79 and the Madison Arts Barn, among others.
One event which the organization holds for all families is called “Touch a Truck.” This event is aimed for smaller children and allows families to spend a nice day out in the springtime, looking at interesting vehicles of all kinds. Cars, trucks, and other vehicles congregate in the parking lot of the Surf Club for an event which brings together the community, while also giving both small children and adults the ability to see different types of fascinating vehicles which they may not be used to seeing.
Jenny mentions how much her own kids enjoy the “Touch a Truck” event, along with its other key purposes.
“My kids, especially, absolutely 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 promote businesses in the area.”
In addition to small businesses, Jenny’s involvement with the Madison community also extends to the educational system in town. Jenny, in tandem with the Madison Newcomers Club, helps to raise money to fund scholarships for students who attend Daniel Hand High School. By doing this, they help these students to be able to go to the schools they want to and help their families to be able to afford that.
Jenny also volunteers with The Wonder Project, an organization which attempts to teach children empathy, inclusivity, and standing up to bullying at a young age. While the organization was originally started in Brooklyn, New York, Jenny has attempted to bring the message of the project to Ryerson Elementary School, which her children attend.
Recently, Jenny has taken her position of co-president even further by starting an Instagram account called @midcoastaleats with fellow Madison resident Brittany Fischer in order to curate local restaurant options for people in the shoreline area. These include places 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 a review of the atmosphere and aesthetic, as well as the food and drinks. They have already provided reviews for multiple restaurants in the local area.
Jenny has lived in Madison for two years, moving to town with her husband and two children after living in the New York metropolitan area for almost a decade. She originally grew up on the other side of Connecticut in Suffield. Jenny was freelance French horn player in New York City before moving to Madison, even performing on Broadway, and now works as a data scientist for the federal government. She still plays the French horn in orchestras such as the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.