DATE: Friday, August 1, 1997                TAG: 9707300175

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 16   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JENNIFER C. O'DONNELL, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   71 lines

WELCOME WAGON INTRODUCES NEWCOMERS TO CITY, BUSINESSES

IF CLAIRE A. MINOR has things her way, the first friendly face new Great Bridge residents encounter will be hers. Minor is one of three Chesapeake field representatives of Welcome Wagon, the national organization that has been greeting new residents, engaged couples and growing families nationwide since 1928.

The company recently celebrated its 69th anniversary.

According to Minor, some of her ``home recipients,'' as she likes to call them, thought the concept of welcoming new neighbors was a courtesy of days gone by.

``They thought we were a myth,'' Minor said.

To be honest, they were, at least locally. But that changed in November of last year when Virginia Beach resident, Sandy D. Call introduced Welcome Wagon to Hampton Roads. Soon after, Minor noticed a newspaper ad for Welcome Wagon field representatives.

``I love people and I love talking. I knew I was perfect for the job,'' Minor said.

Call thought so, too, and soon after Minor was hired and making house calls to new Great Bridge residents.

``I'd say I've already visited more than 150 homes,'' said Minor, who added that she averages about 10 house calls a week.

Welcome Wagon was founded in 1928 by Thomas Briggs, a newspaper advertising executive in Memphis, Tenn. Briggs conceived the idea for Welcome Wagon as a way to generate income for his paper.

Today, more than 2,000 field representatives nationwide greet more than 500,000 recipients.

Minor canvases the Great Bridge area while two other field representatives cover Greenbrier and Western Branch.

The Welcome Wagon concept is simple. Field representatives like Minor team up with local businesses. In return for exposure, the businesses offer home recipients free consultations, product samples and knick-knacks such as magnets and pens with their business logo and phone number.

``Most of the businesses I work with are ones I've actually used myself,'' said Minor, who added that she seeks business sponsors that will be especially helpful to new residents. Her current sponsors include a dentist, a pest control company, a local dairy, a cosmetic company and a water purifying company.

Minor and her family moved to Chesapeake 12 years ago. Minor's husband, Timothy, is a Command Master Chief with the Navy, so the family had to endure several transfers.

``Great Bridge was like our first real home,'' she said. The Minor clan loved Chesapeake so much that when Timothy was transferred to Spain for three years, the couple decided not to sell their Great Bridge home.

``We wanted to come back to Chesapeake,'' Minor said.

Unlike many established residents, Minor thinks the growth Chesapeake has experienced over the years has been good for the community.

``The people that are moving here have the same strong family values as the people that were raised here have,'' she said. ``And it's family values that help keep an area up.''

When Minor isn't assembling baskets, the Welcome Wagon calling card, she's canvassing neighborhoods for moving vans.

``I won't approach people as they're moving in. I try to give them three to four days to settle in before I call,'' said Minor, who added that she tries to make her visits helpful.

``I don't want the visits to just be introductions to area businesses,'' she said. ``I want the people I meet to come away with a warm feeling about the city. I want them to feel welcome.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN

Claire Minor, the Welcome Wagaon lady for Chesapeake, left, visits

with Cathy Christian and her daughter Talia in their home on Benefit

Road. Minor became a Welcome Wagon representative because she loves

people.

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