Where friends and neighbors meet

SPARTA — A local women’s club, Sparta Friends and Neighbors, is preparing to kick off an exciting year on Thursday, September 8th in their new venue, The Sparta Volunteer Ambulance Center, 14 Sparta Ave. While Sparta Friends and Neighbors is known for the warm welcome members extend to area newcomers, the group is a friendly mix of both long time residents and the recently transplanted. The club is a great place to explore interests and make new friends in the process. Monthly meetings featuring guest speakers, along with a variety of weekly activity groups including Chicks with Sticks (knitting), Day Trippers (Outings), Book Club, Gourmet Cooking, and more, provide members with the opportunity to learn something new or practice an existing skill. In addition, philanthropic events are held in the fall and spring to raise money for local charities and as a means of giving back to this community we call home. Whether you’re brand new to Sparta and are looking for a friendly face or you’ve been here a while and now have time to explore, Sparta Friends and Neighbors has something for you. General meetings run from 9:30-11 a.m. and are held the first Thursday of every month. The club’s kickoff meeting on Sept. 8 will be an informal time to meet and greet friends while learning more about the activities and events planned for this year. To quote William Butler Yeats, “There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met.”