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Health & Fitness

IBM Team Spirit Stays Strong in Retirement

The legendary camaraderie among employees of the quintessential American corporation seems to carry over into retirement. Eight retired IBM Corporation computer professionals currently reside at a Rockville continuing care retirement community, Ingleside at King Farm (IKF). When a few of these computer pros learned their former employer offered matching grants for volunteerism, they jumped into action.

IBM grants awards based on IBM retiree participation in their communities. Volunteer hours are given a monetary value, and IBM awards cash grants to select grant winners.

Two Ingleside members, both retired from IBM , successfully led the effort to win the IBM community matching grant. The first, IKF member Jerry Bruemmer, had already invested 218 hours of volunteer service at Ingleside at King Farm.

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It was Jerry's volunteer hours that were part of the grant proposal. Jerry sits on various committees, one of which evaluates members satisfaction with Ingleside at King Farm. He also volunteers to tend to the over 275 landscaping plants on the roof top gardens and grounds. Jerry also teaches 2 classes on current events and leads a Bible Study.

Mrs. Barbara Gressman, another IBM alum, lent her grant writing expertise to the project.

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"We began working on this in May, finally, in July we put pen to paper. We found out in August that we won the grant, and we are ecstatic! A very good team of residents and staff worked together on this," says Jerry.

IKF plans to use the $3000 award from the IBM Community Matching Grants office to constructing a mobile Media cart for use by all IKF community members.

The mobile cart will be used to increase social experience for residents. Such uses as “brain training “games, travelogues, short movies, Wii exercises and other education and entertainment experiences are planned. Connectivity to the internet is also available for current events.

Jerry's late wife Carolyn Bruemmer who was active in the Ingleside MIND club (Moving in New Directions) inspired him to work on this project. He and Bree Baldwin, the Memory Care Specialist at IKF frequently talked about the needs of those members who struggled with both mobility and memory issues.

Kimberly Hartke of AllHealth PR is a publicist for Ingleside at King Farm.




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