08/31/2026
Goal: reshaping society
across the generations
Portland Pearl Rotary welcomed Dr. Derenda M. Schubert, PhD, who spent much of her time with members discussing her new book, "The Power of a Joyful Village" (Aug. 25). The book gathers the lessons, stories and strategies behind the inter-generational movement she has spent her career building, offering what she described as the soul of a model reshaping how people care for one another across generations, systems and society.
"We are not meant to live apart," Derenda proclaimed at the outset. (She was interviewed by PPRC Past President Diane Brandsma, a fellow employee.)
Dr. Schubert is CEO of Bridge Meadows, where she has advanced a model bringing together youth, families and elders in neighborhoods built around belonging, healing and joy. She told Rotarians that the book grew out of the conviction that people are not meant to face life alone, and that communities rooted in love and mutual support give everyone, regardless of age or circumstance, a genuine chance to thrive.
"When we create places rooted in love and mutual support," she writes, "everyone has a chance to thrive."
Much of her presentation centered on how that philosophy translates into the everyday life of a Bridge Meadows neighborhood, where elders and young families live side by side, offering each other companionship, practical support and a sense of shared purpose that neither generation could easily find alone. She described the book as an effort to capture not just the strategies behind that model, but the emotional and relational texture of what happens when strangers become an extended family.
Grounding the "Joyful Village" stories, she said, is her deeper understanding of healing, attachment and resilience. She spoke about the process of writing the book itself, describing it as a chance to distill decades of work in child welfare, aging, mental health and housing into a narrative accessible to readers well beyond the non-profit world.
Derenda also touched on the wider recognition Bridge Meadows has received, noting coverage from outlets like the New York Times and Washington Post. The book--which was available for Rotarians to purchase--extends that model's reach to communities far beyond Portland. Her hope, she told the club, is that readers will come away with practical tools as well as inspiration to build their own "joyful villages," wherever they live.
When approaching "living inter-generational," she advised, "people are excited to bring generations together." Demographics will provide a push for that movement. "In 2030, we will have more people over 65 than under 18." She expects an embrace from younger people seeking engagement with elders:
"We have a social isolation epidemic in this country. It's very hard to be a young person today."
Internet and social media have given us more access to the world. But, she believes, "We are also more lonely."
