The First United Methodist Church of Williamstown invites women of all ages to meet new people during its monthly Walk and Talk.
A small group of fewer than 10 women gathers every second and fourth Saturday in the church parking lot at 7:55 a.m., and start their walk by 8 a.m. According to walk co-leader Kate Mularski, the most interesting part of the gathering is its age gap.
“My co-leader is in her 80s, and I am in my 30s, so we have all different varieties of ages that come,” she said. “It’s really cool to see how we can all connect even though we are all in different age demographics.
“It really came about because of COVID,” Mularski added. “We started last fall because we were just looking for creative ways for people to stay connected with each other. Being outside is obviously the best choice when you can do it, so we started walking and talking.”
Mularski and co-leader Dot Staquet decided to create the Walk and Talk to help women in the church connect with each other during the pandmeic. Now that COVID restrictions are easing, they want to invite other women in the area.
“We started not really advertising it because of COVID; we wanted to keep it small,” Mularski explained. “But at this point, with social distancing and being outside, we are more than happy to have anyone come and be part of it. People can bring a friend or come and meet a new friend.
“It is a small group of us, but we have fun together. “
Any adult woman who wants to join the group can show up for one of the walks. Participants can also email [email protected] or call (856) 629-6459 with questions. The walks are socially distanced and masks are required.
“I think this is a simple way to connect with each other,” said Mularski. “It is good for your physical health, your mental health and your emotional health, and we see in this season of COVID how important those connections are.”