Newcomers in town can expect a visit from the welcome wagon through Welcome to Cochrane, a revamped initiative aimed to better connect residents to local businesses in the community.
Jana Husmann, a realtor in Cochrane and one of the main figures spearheading the initiative, explained that the project was originally known as “The Welcome Wagon,” and was aimed to share new members of the community, different information about local businesses in town.
“My friend Joni [Ferguson], she is a mortgage broker in town, and she said ‘you know what? I really miss The Welcome Wagon,’ and I said ‘yeah, I do too,’’ Husmann said. “I was thinking of revamping it, but I didn’t have the time to do it on my own, so we partnered to get the whole thing started.”
When Husmann moved to Cochrane 10 years ago, she said she received a Welcome Wagon basket and still keeps and cherishes some of its contents. The biggest difference from the former project will be that businesses will be free to participate, and the entire project will be done on a volunteer basis.
“So, what businesses do is they give us giveaways, brochures, flyers, coupons, whatever it is they want us to put in the basket, and then we deliver baskets to new residents of Cochrane that order this from our website,” Husmann explained.
At the time of the interview, Husmann said she was well on her way to delivering a basket to a brand-new Cochranite in the community, adding that the new initiative is already well received from recipients and the business community alike.
“The support is amazing, like we get such great feedback from all the businesses, [and] everybody seems to be very happy about it,” she said. “I’ve talked to The Station to get a package from them, and they mentioned that people are actually asking for Welcome to Cochrane, or if something similar exists.”
Overall, Husmann said she is happy to be able to bring this initiative to the doors of new residents in town, while also supporting local businesses.
“I have received tremendous support over the past year, [. . .] and I just want to give back to the community that has helped me,” Husmann said. “I really want to make this this big and I want people to be happy when we ring their doorbell and they receive their baskets.”
For new residents who wish to receive a basket, they can do so online by visiting www.welcometocochrane.com.
She added that for those who are curious about what the baskets contain, can see one on display at The Station at Cochrane Crossing. Local business owners who are interested in participating can apply by emailing [email protected].
