Program Staff Spotlight: Older Adults

Goodman’s older adult program is a vital lifeline for many senior community members in Madison. Programming is run by Gayle Laszewski and Abby Sibilski. Their work is deeply entwined, yet both have a distinct role within this vibrant program.

As the program manager, Gayle oversees the daily operations of the program, ensuring it has high quality and diverse activities that meet the needs and interests of our older adult participants. A large portion of her work involves creating and maintaining community partnerships so we can provide a wide range of programs and services.

Abby, the program coordinator, manages the Congregate Meal Site, which is the donation-based lunch for seniors that Monday through Friday. Additionally, she coordinates most of the other weekly older adult programs that we offer, along with planning extra social events for our seniors. They see the most important part of their jobs as helping to create safe and enjoyable social opportunities for the older adults in our community.

We asked both Gayle and Abby about their jobs. Here’s what they had to say!

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job?

Gayle: “I love seeing the sense of community we have here at Goodman and the genuine sense of caring among our participants. I never tire of seeing participants helping each other and friendships being created. I also enjoy seeing our program grow and participants challenging themselves by attending different programs.

Abby: “It is hard to pick one favorite part of my job here at Goodman, but the most rewarding thing for me is seeing older adults make new friends. Growing up, I saw the impact of being a senior and being socially isolated in my grandparents. When I see someone come to Goodman for the first time, and then 6 months later they’re a regular participant who sits by their new friends every day, or they are going on adventures outside of Goodman with their Goodman friends — that's fantastic to me. Another great part of the job is the way that so many of the older adults practice gratitude. They are always so grateful for everyone and everything when they come into the center. It adds to the rewarding aspect of my job while reminding me how important it is to express and receive gratitude.”

Q: What does working with volunteers mean to you and the older adult program?

Abby: “I have the honor of working with many, many volunteers every week to keep all our programs afloat. Many of them are older adults, themselves. It is really great to see how many people are out there in the community looking to fill their time by doing for others. Our volunteers come from all walks of life, and in turn I get to learn from them every day. Several of the volunteers have been working with us for years, so I find myself having close knit relationships with many of them. It’s an added bonus that I did not expect coming into this job- having so many volunteers and community members in my corner. They inspire me every day to do good for others in my spare time.”

Gayle: “I have learned so many things from our volunteers and older adults! From our volunteers I have learned that besides giving their valuable time to our programs, they also lead some very interesting and involved lives - working on a PhD, playing in a professional orchestra, helping raise grandchildren, traveling around the world, speaking multiple languages, volunteering in other programs, etc. How do they do it all? From our seniors, I have learned a lot about perseverance, adapting to life changes with a positive attitude, and maintaining a sense of humor. I also have observed that age really is relative. We have seniors that are in their 80's and 90's that look and act younger than some of our 50-year-olds! If you keep your brain sharp and your body healthy, and surround yourself with people you enjoy, it keeps you young. I was also told that you have to keep dancing!”

Q: What are some fun facts about you?

Gayle: "Growing up, I was very close to my grandparents; they were almost like second parents to me. I truly enjoyed hearing about and learning from their lived experiences. It's no wonder my career has focused on older adults. Our elders have so much to offer! Another influence in my life were my travels with Semester at Sea and my two-year backpacking trip around the world. My favorite moments were being invited into someone's home to share a meal, not having a set travel plan so you could hang in a place for a while and talking with the locals to learn more about their culture and lifestyle. I asked so many people about what they thought was the meaning in life. Despite all our differences, most people said love, family and friends. We do live in a small world.”

Abby: “When I am not at work, I like to be outdoors or watching the newest documentary (and not just true crime — any documentary that seems intriguing will do). I have always been a camping enthusiast, so I try to make time at least once every summer to get out there and do some camping adventures. During the winter, I also love to paint with my collection of acrylics and to go on ski trips in Upper Michigan. Being in Madison, I love spending time by the lakes, riding my bike and enjoying all the summer music festivals. For the past three years, occasionally on my weekends, I babysit for a family who has three boys under 5 years old, which sounds chaotic, but I absolutely love it and them. It also gets me excited to go back to work on Monday and work with folks on the complete opposite end of the age spectrum. It’s a good reminder that life is short, even when you’ve got 70 years of experience under your belt.”