Volunteerism and mentorship are the key pillars of intergenerational service at Ingleside. Whether residents are supporting Ingleside’s staff members in completing an N-400 application to obtain U.S. citizenship or helping them better understand English basics to pass tests in reading, writing, and civics — volunteering has provided residents with endless opportunities to utilize skill sets from previous work and life experiences to help others.
At Ingleside at King Farm (IKF), a program offering U.S. citizenship application support from experienced residents is one key benefit that has impacted the lives of employees. The program has helped to cultivate an environment where one-on-one mentorship and generous service allow residents to build positive, supportive relationships with staff members.
Evelyn Reader and Rich Robinson, IKF residents since 2019 and 2021, organized a group of residents who have helped 11 employees so far through the process of securing their US citizenship. The group provides education, coaching, tutoring, and mentorship. A multilingual resident volunteer, Rich has been pivotal in helping Ingleside employees prepare their Form N-400 citizenship applications and study for their tests.
“Ingleside is filled with accomplished, friendly, and helpful residents. As part of the IKF U.S. Citizenship Project, we help employees study during the four to six months between the time of filing the N-400 to the time of the interview,” he shared. “It is very rewarding to participate in their joy and pride in becoming U.S. citizens.”
For staff members who qualify, Ingleside not only connects them with resident volunteers willing to tutor them in preparation of their citizenship exams, but also provides grants from the Westminster Ingleside Foundation to help them cover the cost of their citizenship application fees.
To date, 41 participants have received a $760 award for the filing fee from the Employee Education and Citizenship Fund through the Foundation.
At Ingleside at Rock Creek (IRC), employees are similarly benefiting from the support of residents and the foundation. Iris Thompson-Pelham, originally from Sierra Leone, is one such employee whose dedication and ambition have been recognized. Since joining IRC over three years ago, Iris has been a vital part of the community, supporting residents in their daily activities and providing compassionate care.
Her journey to citizenship was supported by the Employee Scholarship and Citizenship Program, a program funded almost entirely by residents which provides essential resources for staff seeking personal and professional growth. “I was overjoyed and incredibly grateful when I learned I had been awarded the scholarship,” Iris shared. “It felt like a validation of all the hard work I’ve put into my personal and professional growth. Knowing that IRC and its donors believe in me was humbling and motivating.”
Iris emphasized how impactful the program has been not only for her own development but also for the broader mission of IRC. “This scholarship is a crucial step toward my goal. I’m excited to continue developing skills that will help me contribute more meaningfully to IRC and those we serve,” she added.
Ingleside’s One-Of-A-Kind Residents
Ingleside’s communities are home to several volunteer-minded residents with backgrounds in teaching, specifically English as a Second Language (ESL) educators. For example, two retired residents and former educators at Westminster at Lake Ridge saw an opportunity to aid staff members studying for their citizenship exams and offered their support in becoming tutors to lend a helping hand. It all started when the two residents saw a staff member studying for their U.S. citizenship test in the dining room and knew that they could do something to help.
The American citizenship test is known to be particularly challenging, demanding a great deal of time and resources from its candidates. The residents saw an opportunity to leverage their backgrounds as educators to ease the process and help staff members successfully pass their exams.
The Foundation’s Support of Employees
The Ingleside Organization and its three communities have been recognized as Best Workplaces in Aging Services by Great Place to Work, a distinction granted by employees’ ratings of their workplace. Established in 1999 as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, the Westminster Ingleside Foundation has provided finanacial resources and benefits to help staff with needed support in areas like tuition assistance, citizenship funds, and scholarship funds. These donations are instrumental to helping remove barriers to U.S. citizenship for many Ingleside employees from other countries.