Carol Downs of Alexandria receives AARP's Gordon Morton Award for Volunteer Service

AARP Virginia has presented Carol Downs of Alexandria with the revered Gordon Morton Award for Volunteer Service.

“Through her dedicated work in the community, Carol Downs has improved the quality of life for many older residents in the City of Alexandria and beyond,” said AARP Virginia Community Outreach Director Amber Nightingale Sultane. “She was born with the social worker gene implanted in her soul – and a sense of humor that adds some lighter moments to even the toughest situations.”

The Gordon Morton Award for Volunteer Service was presented to Downs at the All-Volunteer Assembly Recognition Awards Banquet in Staunton on November 12, 2015.

The Gordon Morton Award for Volunteer Service recognizes an individual AARP volunteer who has made outstanding contributions to the work of AARP in a manner consistent with the dedication and quality of work modeled by the late Gordon Morton of Virginia Beach.

Downs served as chair of At Home in Alexandria, a “village” dedicated to helping people live in their homes for as long as long as possible. This organization is flourishing today with 134 members and it is growing, in part because of her work to help build a strong foundation. . Downs now serves as chair of the Alexandria Commission on Aging, comprised of citizen activists who advise the City Council and advocate on behalf of older Alexandrians, especially low-income citizens. This Commission is remarkably active and Carol is a strong leader whose warmth and commitment inspires its members.

As a member of the Community Caregiving Action Team (CCAT), Downs has been actively engaging AARP members and the general public in conversations that help to prepare those planning to be a caregiver as well as those who will receive care from a loved one. She has given many of AARP’s Prepare to Care presentations and she also speaks at HomeFit workshops in a manner that is both fun and educational.

Downs has been an excellent mentor for volunteers and, most recently, she has taken new CCAT volunteers under her wing and is mentoring them on the various aspects of AARP outreach.

“She is a great role model to other volunteers because she takes the initiative – and Carol isn’t shy about asking if she can try something innovative,” Sultane said.

When Downs served as a Create the Good Ambassador, she created a partnership among AARP, the City of Alexandria, Senior Services of Alexandria, and At Home in Alexandria. The partnership coordinates communications and defines the services of each organization to prevent duplication of efforts and enhance clarity about the role of each organization. This enables the organizations to complement each other’s work.