Riderwood Residents Making Desks For Local Students Learning Remotely

A group of residents living at Riderwood, Erickson Living-managed senior living community in Silver Spring, Maryland, called the "Association of Woodcrafters" love woodworking and were looking for ways to give back to the community.  They reached out to local schools and asked if any students learning remotely would need a desk.  In just a couple of months, the group has already built in the Riderwood Woodshop and delivered 10 desks with 4 more being delivered this week.  Currently, there are16 more in production. 

Riderwood resident Tom Mertz discussed how the project came together:

Q.  How did the project begin at Riderwood?

A.  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. We found some plans for a fairly simple desk and off we went.

Q.  Who are receiving the desks made by the Riderwood residents?

A.  The desks we are making are intended for students working at home so we reached out to local elementary schools. Teachers are in the best position to be able to discreetly identify families in need of a desk.

Q. How many residents are working on the desks and how many have you all made?

A.  There are currently ten of us on the desk team. We actually started working on the first (prototype) in mid-October.  So far we have made and delivered 10 desks with four more going out this week.  We have 16 more in progress in the Riderwood Woodshop. We are trying to maintain a pace of about 4 desks per week.

The materials for each desk cost about $50. We are buying from a local supplier and the money, so far, has come from generous folks here at Riderwood through word of mouth.  Our plan is to continue building as long as necessary.

The Riderwood Woodshop members are enjoying being able to give back to the community by making these desks for local students learning at home. 

Consider Riderwood if you're interested in living in an active senior independent living community. Beautiful walking paths, gardens, resort-style amenities, an on-site medical center staffed by full-time medical professionals, and new friends await. Request more information today.