Making Connections That Count

There’s a rich history in Ridgewood of organizations for women who want to share their blessings by supporting the community (and each other) while enjoying the company of old and new friends. Some, such as the venerable Women’s Club of Ridgewood, are probably familiar to you. Others are probably not—though one of the more recently established groups, Connections, should be.

The group’s mission is to “provide social interactions that will offer support, educational opportunities, cultural events, community service, and just plain enjoyment for our membership.”

Humble Beginnings

According to founding President Donna Mainardi Singer, Connections initially was inspired by another social/activity group in Ridgewood.

Both Singer and her husband, Mark, worked at Ramapo College for years. Upon his retirement, Mark was invited by a friend to join Hobbyists Unlimited, made up of retired or semiretired men eager to expand their social circles while pursuing the activities they’re passionate about. (You may have read about them in the January 2026 issue of Ridgewood and Ho-Ho-Kus Magazine.)

“They had different activities where they invited spouses. I went to a few, and I thought, What about us?” she recalls. “There was a group of women who formed a friend group, but nothing formal. So a few of us got together and tried to figure out how to move this forward.”

The first “meeting” consisted of 35 women getting together at the Duck Pond in Ridgewood in June 2018. “We put together a survey of the kinds of activities we thought people might be interested in, handed it out, and asked people to let us know,” Singer says.

Singer understands why the idea caught on so quickly. “There are so many of us who had careers. When I retired, I kept in touch with a few people I worked with, but it’s different now. My support group, my socialization, was at the college. I think many of us were feeling the same thing.”

Apparently, they were. Today, Connections counts 250 women among its members, taking part in 22 activities.

Monthly member meetings occur at First Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood, though the group is nonsectarian, nonpolitical, and nonprofit. The meetings are a draw not only for their fellowship and to conduct club business, but also because they feature speakers who illuminate broader, often timely subjects. At one recent monthly meeting, for example, Connections hosted a speaker from Ramapo College who invited members to don their CSI hats and learn how DNA and genealogical research are used to solve longstanding cold cases.

Activities Galore

Activity groups within the organization meet more frequently and are categorized under Card & Tabletop Games, Books, Film & Theater, Arts & Crafts, Sports & Outdoor Recreation, and other activities. Any member with an idea for a new group is welcome to submit a proposal to the board. If it’s approved, that member often becomes the group’s leader. Some groups, such as the one for Mah Jongg aficionados, meet several times a week to accommodate players of different skill levels.

The most popular subject matter, by far, is books—so much so that there are seven book groups, with the possibility that more could follow. “It’s kind of amazing,” Singer says. “We try to keep the membership in each book group to 25. More than that is unwieldy.”

Most of the book groups are general interest, though one is dedicated to the classics and another is virtual-only.

While there’s no shortage of women interested in joining Connections, the group limits membership to 250 at a time. “We don’t want to keep growing past the point where we can offer the services. It wouldn’t be fair to current members,” Singer explains. “We’re victims of our own success!”

Current President Joan Cooke noted a key issue is simply ensuring there’s room for everyone. “Our challenge in properly satisfying our members’ requests and interests is mostly finding meeting space and ample parking facilities,” she says.

Prospective members must be invited or sponsored by a current member. As women leave the group, prospective members on the wait list are invited to join. Over the course of the past year, 18 spots opened up; however, they fill up quickly from the wait list.

In the Name

Cooke sees the ongoing strength of Connections as being twofold. “It’s the social connections and the activities. I really believe it is both,” she says.

As one of the first women to join Connections, beyond the original 35 who met at the Duck Pond, Cooke recognized the club’s appeal right away. She discovered its deeper value, though, on the heels of a great personal loss.

“My husband and I used to travel extensively. When he passed away three-and-a-half years ago, Connections became a very integral part of my life,” she explains. “It really became a connection for me.”

According to Cooke, it’s a happily diverse group of women. “We have a lot of retired teachers, and a lot of nurses, but I would not say there’s any ‘typical’ kind of person who’s going to be interested in joining the group,” she says.

Singer agrees. “It’s an interesting mix. We have some women who only go to the monthly luncheons, and we have women who are involved in many activities concurrently,” she says.

What is a consistent factor, as the name of the group suggests, is an eagerness to connect with other local women who are at a similar stage of life. “I think it’s people who enjoy being engaged, people who are energetic, and like to do things,” Singer surmises.

She admitted it’s gratifying to know the group she and that first group at the Duck Pond founded has come to mean so much to so many. “I had a woman say to me at canasta, ‘If not for this group, I’d be sitting home. But here I am, we’re playing cards, we’re laughing, and we’re joking,” Singer shares. “I’ve had more than a few women tell me—you know, who retired, who lost a spouse, whose kids relocated away, and whatnot—that it really changed their life.”

Learn more about Connections by visiting their website at https://njconnections.com/.

Photographs courtesy of Connections

Harris Fleming is a freelance writer who lives in Waldwick with his wife (a Ridgewood school teacher) and teenage son. Were he not both male and still working, he would be eager to get on the wait list to join Connections.