The city of Belleview, Florida, intends to ensure all new residents know about local businesses and the services the city has to offer by handing out welcome bags. When a new Bellevue resident comes into city hall to activate city water in their home, he or she is also presented with a package of flyers, pamphlets, promotional items and coupons from local businesses.

The welcome bag program was started after previous events and promotions manager worked with the commission on a way to make newcomers feel at home while sharing critical community information. It has been going on for three to four years and gives new residents a good idea of where to go for items, as well as what city office to contact in common situations.

It’s free for local businesses to participate in the welcome bag program. The business simply has to provide a month’s supply or more of a promotional item and anything else they would like included in the bag. A member of the business brings in the items they want to be placed in the bags to Mikaela Schrickel, Belleview events and promotions manager, or she will pick the items up. Members of her department place the items in the bags.

Schrickel will typically do Facebook posts and reach out to local sponsors who participate in other city events to spread the word about the welcome bag program. If the bags are running low on items or the city is looking to promote a specific type of business, she will write out a press release to be shared: However, the program grows primarily by word of mouth.

At the program’s inception, a business had donated a large quantity of tote bags. Once those ran out, Schrickel succeeded in getting tote bags with the city seal on the front written into the department’s budget. The bag itself gives residents something useful they can continue to reuse, and its contents provide the residents with useful phone numbers and contact information in case they have any questions.

Staff members in the events and promotions department normally have 50 to 100 bags at the ready. “On average, we pass out 50 to 60 bags each month,” Schrickel said. They recently started to accept promotional flyers and other material from businesses in nearby Ocala, like the new indoor dog park.

“Other than the welcome bags, we do our best to invite new citizens to attend our monthly events, including Friday Foodie Fest at Lake Lillian every third Friday of the month from January to September and Reading with the Mayor every first Tuesday of the month at the Belleview Community Center,” Schrickel said. At both, they work to promote the next upcoming community event.

In the interest of engagement, they also work with local nonprofit organizations such as the Scouts, Boys and Girls Club and veteran organizations as well as various businesses, and they participate in the county schools’ monthly meetings.

In May, Belleview hosts a large Founder’s Day event at Lake Lillian. The library comes in with a pop-up board, and there are free activities for children. In October, the department hosts a trunk or treat the Saturday before Halloween.

“We typically get about 10,000 citizens and county residents with around 50 businesses passing out candy for free,” Schrickel said. In December, a vendor-based event known as Light Up Lake Lillian enjoys participation from approximately 60 small businesses and food trucks, as well as an appearance from Santa.

The department also hopes to attract new residents and businesses by highlighting photography taken throughout the city. Belleview also offers a community center for rent for celebrations or to offer free classes.

“Our slogan is ‘City with small-town charm,’” Schrickel said. “We have a main strip with businesses, but it is not as busy as downtown Ocala.” Although the city is growing, “you can walk to all the stores,” she noted. “It is comfortable and small. There is a park at Lake Lillian with pavilions to rent and a dock. Belleview is a good place to raise a family.”

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