Jubilee Newsletter:
Spring & Summer 2007
 Jubilee Residents Reaching Out
Some of the many people serving the
community (L-R) Barbara Sovde,
David Mesojednik, and Marilyn Stahle
While some Jubilee residents have retired, they’re far from
“retiring.” They’re giving back to the community with their time
— helping individuals displaced by tragedies, providing comfort
for family members of hospital patients, and keeping seniors
young by drawing them back out into the world.
David Mesojednik admits he’s “not a very good retiree.” After all
he retired twice – once, “unsuccessfully,” from teaching and the
second time from the Board of Health’s Cancer registry. So, in 2001
when the urge to “work” started to percolate again, he joined the
Red Cross’ disaster action team. Since then he’s helped hundreds
of people across the country deeply affected by manmade and
natural disasters, including lower Manhattan residents following
the 9/11 tragedy.
In the past year alone, David’s spent a total of five months on the
road and on the “front lines” assisting others in need. He’s not
really sure what drives him to volunteer and sometimes wishes he
could “turn it off,” saying, “When I’m on the road I miss my wife
and my dog. I miss being able to get together with my neighbors.
But I just feel like it’s something I have to do.”
For Barbara Sovde, a high energy personality and strong desire
to give back is what drives her volunteering efforts. She and her
husband are Jubilee’s unofficial liaisons to Thurston County’s
emergency management. They’ve been helping to
set up response teams in the neighborhood so the
community is prepared for any emergency.
Barbara also spends much of her spare time
volunteering at St. Peter’s hospital as a surgical
liaison, keeping family members company and
offering support. Her most cherished memory is of
helping a woman whose husband was undergoing
heart surgery. She spent extra time with the
woman, trying to keep her from worrying. As she
left, the woman held her hand and told her “what
a great difference” she had made. Of her work,
Barbara says simply, “You do what you can for
someone you’ll never see again and trust that, for
that moment, it was enough.”
Chances are when exploring Jubilee you could
run into volunteer, Marilyn Stahle. That’s because
whenever the community is in need of
volunteers, she’s one of the first to lend a
hand. She also helps out at a senior center in
Olympia, coordinating day trips for seniors.
She’s organized trips to Seattle’s International
District and Aquarium, the Portland Art
Museum, and Mount St. Helens. “A lot of the
people in the senior center groups can’t drive
or find it difficult to get around on their own,”
explains Marilyn. “The trips enable them to get
out of the house and enjoy themselves.”
Marilyn has always been drawn to volunteering.
Over the years, she’s helped out at charity runs,
boxed up care packages for World Vision and
assisted the local Goodwill. She notes, “I can’t
spend the day sitting around the house and
playing cards. I need to get out and help.”
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