My Third Space: Park Chat
Readers Write | Stories of Community
The following story was written by Roseville resident Connie Rice in response to a call for submissions for readers to share their stories of how they are finding community in Roseville.
I transplanted to Roseville as a retiree in 2022, following my grandchildren across the country. Well, yes, technically I followed my kids, but the grandkids were the primary draw. I was used to having a wide and deep network of family and friends in my native California and set right to work trying to find community here in my new home.
I was fortunate enough to come across a posting about a group called Do Good Roseville who sponsored “Park Chat.” This is a relatively small group of women who meet up at various Roseville parks every Wednesday morning (we move indoors to Barnes and Noble during the winter months).
This group has been a life saver for me. These smart, empathetic, fun (and funny) women have become not just a weekly meetup, but real friends. They offer support in hard times, celebration in good times, and just plain good company.
We don’t restrict our time together to just Wednesday mornings. We run into each other doing lots of other activities like volunteering in the community, going to community events and entertainments, game nights, and taking classes through the Aŋpétu Téča Education Center. All the things that friends do together to lift each other up.
According to Mayo Clinic, having friends can:
“Raise your sense of connection, belonging and purpose.
Boost your happiness and lower your stress.
Improve your self-confidence and feelings of self-worth.
Help you cope through hard times, such as divorce, serious illness, job loss or the death of a loved one.
Urge you to change or avoid habits that aren't healthy. These might include drinking too much or not exercising.”
Being connected to these women in my community does all of the above for me. I frequently thank Kathy Ramundt, Do Good Roseville co-founder, for having this group available for me to fall into as a lonely transplant to the state. It has helped immensely in making Roseville feel like home.
Come join us!
Connie Rice retired from academic advising administration after 25 years at Santa Clara University in the Silicon Valley. She and her husband of almost 45 years moved to Roseville in 2022. She enjoys staying active with YMCA water aerobics and Curves workouts, and pursuing many volunteer opportunities here in the Twin Cities. Her favorite thing to do is spend time with her family and friends. Connie feels fortunate to have landed in Roseville where she loves hanging out in the many parks, and in particular loves to walk around Lake Bennett.
Submit a Story
Do you have a story about how you’re finding community in Roseville? Where’s your third space? How do you connect with your friends and neighbors in Roseville? The deadline for submissions has been extended to April 30, 2025. Read more about this call for submissions below. Send your stories to therosevillereader [at] gmail [dot] com.
Next up in this series is a submission about the Optimist Club!
Your Stories of Community
Roseville is full of stories and full of the people living them. I want to hear yours.
As another co-founder of Do Good Roseville I am thriled you shared Connie's story because it is great way to see how easy it is to build community. Kathy is a tremendous at connecting people!
Thank you Naomi!