Former
Welcome Wagon Representative Becomes Publisher of Community
Newspapers
By Jesssica Daleheart
The evolution of Welcome Home began as an in home greeting
service December 1998 in the Stone Oak area. Gina Groomer,
a former Welcome Wagon representative, decided to venture
into business when Welcome Wagon displaced more than 2,000
representatives across the country. “When I was with
Welcome Wagon, the Stone Oak area was the territory I was
assigned to work back in April 1998,” says Gina. “I
loved welcoming newcomers in the area with my basket of gifts.
I felt like the neighborhood concierge by bringing information
and gifts from the businesses for new homeowners to enjoy.
It brought me joy and personal satisfaction.”
During a restructuring of Welcome Wagon, representatives were
notified home visits were to end, concluding a 75 year old
tradition. Gina felt very disappointed and told her advertisers
the bad news. It was at this time that her advertisers she
serviced in her basket encouraged her to develop her own independent
greeting service business. With the support of her husband,
Russell, as her business partner, they became Welcome Home
in December 1998.
“I felt excited having our own business. Russell did
accounting and bookwork while I did the promotional and greeting
for our company,” says Gina.
“I was happy greeting newcomers and never dreamed of
doing more than just that,” says Gina. “However,
our business blossomed and other ladies wanted to help in
the greeting process. As a greeter, I saw a need in the Stone
Oak community to receive local news concerning the neighborhood.
There was a definite void in this area.”
Welcome Home, the community newspaper, was launched May 2001,
to fill this void. The newspaper was a natural extension of
the greeting service, according to Gina.
With an initial circulation of 6,000, the direct mailed newspaper
featured school events, community events, business openings
and student recognition.
“The goal of this community newspaper is to bring attention
to any positive, up lifting event or experience in the neighborhood,”
says Russell and Gina. Welcome Home wants to provide the opportunity
for any individual in the community to be recognized, with
the emphasis on children. “Children provide us with
so many memories. This newspaper gives parents, grandparents,
uncles, aunts, etc., the opportunity to put some of these
memories to print. Whether it is Becky riding her bike for
the first time or Tommy earning his first merit badge, every
child deserves to be recognized and praised. The beauty and
strength of community is letting others share in our joys.”
“We are always looking for individuals for our front
cover,” says Russell, managing editor and photographer.
“We want the front cover to always be a representative
from the community,” he adds.
Today, Welcome Home has a combined circulation of over 44,000
with each area expansion following a logical plan. “We wanted the name consistent and the
paper’s mission consistent,” says Gina. Each Welcome Home
edition focuses on community news and schools in that area. Welcome Home currently services the 78258, 78259, 78248, 78232, 78260 and 78261 zip codes.
“It’s exciting to be able to connect each area
and give it a small town feel. San Antonio, as a whole, is
huge and Welcome Home makes each area special to the events
and people in its community,” Gina said.
” Welcome Home is interested in press releases of new business
openings as well as letting the community know of business
expansions.“I hope you experience as much enjoyment reading Welcome Home as we have had creating it,”
says Gina.
Contributing
Writers:
Dr. Richard Middleton, Dr. Monica Allison, Rusty Belden, Sonny Melendrez, Principal Terri Chidgey, Barry Tauch, Yolanda Clifton, Mary Jenkins, Diane Craig, Barry Hagendorf,
Dr. Nevelow, Catherine Laria, Tom Masterson, Reagan Journalism
Dept, Councilman Kevin Wolff, Tom Walker, Principal Mary
Longloy, Dr. Louis Orsatti, Michael Groomer, Wendy Nguyen, M.D.,
Brenda Pena, R.N.
Sales
Representatives :
Gina Groomer, Lisa Elo, Cathy Mumm, Patrice Long, Terri Sietz, Tiffaney Stubblefield and Angela Vlasak
