Riderwood residents retirees pitch in to help kids

Silver Spring, MD -- Many families found themselves unprepared for the change to remote learning, leaving many kids trying to attend classes and complete assignments while sitting at the kitchen table amid distractions or hunched over a laptop or iPad on their beds—neither of which is ideal for learning. When the woodworking group at Riderwood, an Erickson Living managed senior living community in Silver Spring, Maryland learned that many local Maryland kids were struggling with at-home learning, they decided to put their talents to good use by building and donating school desks.

In December, the group had made 18 desks and had another 12 in production.

“In September, my wife saw a piece on the internet about ‘dads building desks’ for kids at home. She thought it would be a great project for the woodcrafters so I polled our members and received several positive responses,” says Riderwood woodworker Tom Mertz. “We found some plans for a fairly simple desk and off we went.”

High demand for desks

The woodworking club partnered with Fairland Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Calverton Elementary in Calverton, Md., to get the desks to kids who need them. Tom says the interest level has been high and he and the other woodworkers are trying to churn out four desks a week to keep up with demand.

“The people from the school asked if they could do some thank you notes and send them over, and I said that would be wonderful,” Tom says. “I’ve heard secondhand that people are really appreciative and thankful.”

Supplies for each desk cost about $50. Some of the woodworkers bought the first batch of supplies and as word got out about the project, other Riderwood residents started donating to the cause.

“A few people found out by word of mouth and gave money,” Tom says. “I received enough money for 20 desks without even asking.”

A shared hobby

The desks have certainly made a difference to the students who received them, but as is often the case with giving, the woodworkers have also benefited from working on the project. Tom says building the desks has given the group members something meaningful to do while many other plans and activities have been disrupted by COVID-19. With masks on and occupancy limits, the woodworkers are able to spend time together in the woodshop, where they chitchat and swap tips while they work.

“The desk project team enjoys the work and doing something worthwhile for some children,” Tom says. “We all enjoy working down there and getting our hands dirty,” Tom says.

Tom and his wife, Pamela McGhee, moved to Riderwood from Crofton, Md., in 2019, and he wasted no time joining the resident woodworkers. They lived in a three-story townhouse and after Tom broke a leg, they realized they’d prefer to live on one level. They also wanted to be among other active people in the same stage of life.

“The other thing is that when you’re living in the D.C. area, in most of the suburbs nobody is around during the day,” Tom says.

At Riderwood, Tom now spends his days with other retirees who share his interests. A retired builder and remodeler, Tom is no stranger to woodworking equipment, but he’s had the opportunity to work on different kinds of projects since moving to Riderwood, where he quickly joined the woodworking club.

“I got involved in the woodshop on the third day we were here,” Tom says. “ There are a lot of things I wanted to learn to do down there. We have three lathes, and there are guys making bowls and turning things.”

Written by Meghan Streit

About Riderwood: Riderwood, one of 20 continuing care retirement communities developed and managed by Erickson Living®, is situated on a scenic 120-acre campus in Silver Spring, Maryland. The not-for-profit community of more than 2500 residents is governed by its own board of directors, affiliated with National Senior Campuses, Inc., who provide independent financial and operational oversight of the community. Riderwood is located in Montgomery County. Additional information about Riderwood can be found at Riderwood.com

The first step to enjoying maintenance-free retirement living at Riderwood is to request a brochure.