When they first get here, many newcomers both seasonal and year-round wonder how to begin connecting with the local community. Smaller rural society can appear to be insular and hard to crack into from a distance, but Pender people are generally warm, welcoming, and happy to meet new and interesting friends.
There are the usual ways of meeting new people, heading to the pub or to enjoy music, theater, festivals and other forms of entertainment at various spots around the island. But it can actually be hard to strike up conversations with new people in those environments. A great way to meet locals is to get involved in the community itself. Thankfully there is so much to do that puts you alongside fellow Penderites, by getting involved in activities of interest you should more easily find new friends in the Pender Island community.
Here are three ways to get involved and out to meet the locals. We've abstained from listing many individual organizations because we can't list them all, nor do we want to exclude any of them. To find the organizations themselves we recommend you refer to the most current Pender Island phone book or to the Pender Post to find organizations that interest you most.
Volunteer:
Volunteering is probably one of the best ways to meet people on Pender Island. So many of our local organizations, events, and service providers depend on volunteers, so you can meet new people and help to keep our community thriving at the same time!
There is an incredibly diverse range of organizations that can frequently use volunteer help. |From Arts & Music events to community safety through the Fire/Search Rescue organizations and Emergency Planners, to the Library or the Museum, or Community Support, there is no shortage of wonderful people you can meet by putting in some time into benefiting the Pender Island community.
Social & Networking Clubs/Organizations:
If you're a local business owner we highly recommend getting involved with the Pender Island Chamber of Commerce. There is also a Legion that can always use membership support, there are also many interest groups around nature, art, music and community interests, there is even a Pender Island Newcomers group!
Exercise/Sports:
There are no shortage of ways to have fun staying active and social on Pender Island whether through team sports or group exercise classes both indoors and outdoors. There is something for every age activity level from gentle tai chi, yoga, or walking clubs to aerobic workouts, weight training and running, to golf, disc golf, hockey, roller derby and softball. Have some healthy fun and meet new people!