Independent Living residents Dave Faerber (left) and Ann Houser organized a Beer-Tasting Club at The Woods at Cedar Run. The group meets twice a month in a popular activity at the senior living community.
Independent Living Residents Lead Popular Activity at Camp Hill Community
CAMP HILL, Pa. – A year ago, Independent Living residents Dave Faerber and Ann Houser organized a beer-tasting club at The Woods at Cedar Run to introduce the senior living community to another vibrant activity.
The beer-tasting club began with six members and has consistently expanded, drawing as many as 19 participants to the bi-weekly gathering held as part of The Woods’ Independent Living Auxiliary Club.
Faerber, 84, and Houser, 77, quickly learned there is no age limit when it comes to sipping a cold brew.
“The guys that come to our beer-tasting club would be awfully upset if we didn’t have this,” said Faerber, a retired engineer who has lived at The Woods for 18 months. “The camaraderie makes it fun. We don’t always have a chance to see them during the course of every day or even during the week. It’s a nice get-together. Beer is the common denominator.”
Ryen Novosel, Onboarding Specialist at The Woods at Cedar Run, appreciates the effort and details that go into the beer-tasting club’s gatherings.
“Dave and Ann have been organizing, planning, and executing the beer club for about a year,” Novosel said. “They go to local stores and find unique beer and ale, and they have tastings that all residents are invited to attend every other Saturday.
“The kitchen provides meat and cheese, but it is completely run by Ann and Dave,” Novosel added. “They advertise within the community, buy the beer and supplies, set up the room, and talk about the beer at every tasting. The club has grown from about six residents to sometimes 15 to 20 residents. Ann and Dave are passionate about the club and are consistent with the meetings, which has created a sense of community and fun on the weekends.”
A retired educator, Houser said she and Faerber take pride in finding different and interesting beer for the club members to sample. The group also has non-alcoholic beverage options such as root beer and ginger beer.
“Every two weeks, we go to the grocery store and get 12 of the better beers,” Houser said. “We buy the best. Sometimes we have German and other imports. We also have potato chips, mixed nuts, pretzels. Everyone eats snacks as well.”
The gatherings have expanded beyond including only Independent Living residents, as other seniors in the community have participated.
“We have some residents who are not Independent Living residents, and they’d be extremely upset if this didn’t go on,” Houser said. “Nineteen has been our top number of participants so far, but we will accommodate whatever number we need to. We have quite a variety and a lot of residents in the club.”
The beer-tasting club has emerged as one of the senior living community’s most anticipated activities, according to Jenn Kipe, Executive Operations Officer at The Woods at Cedar Run.
“It is a beloved event,” Kipe said. “We do have a lot senior living residents who attend as well. It’s a popular event. It is fun.”
The beer-tasting club also helps shatter stereotypes once associated with senior living communities. The Woods provides residents with many options to participate in a vibrant lifestyle while doing things they love, Kipe said.
“Activities such as the beer-tasting club are very important because there is a misperception that you move into a ‘home’ and ‘we’re never going to have fun anymore,’” Kipe said. “That’s simply not the case. Our community has a lot of different happy hours, beer-tasting and other fun events. The residents have fun with their friends, which is important.”
Houser sees the potential for growth in both the Independent Living Auxiliary and the beer-tasting club.
“We are extremely active. We do different things and try to get as many people out as possible,” she said. “We bake. We’re going to a Harrisburg Senators baseball game with fireworks. There are 12 or 14 of us in the core group who are very active. We try to get as many other people involved as possible.
“We do not take the answer, ‘No,’ lightly,” Houser said. “Instead, we ask, ‘Why not?’”
For more information, contact Ryen Novosel, Onboarding Specialist The Woods at Cedar Run/Magnolias of Lancaster, at rnovosel@integracare.com or 717.655.1291.