Volunteer Spotlight: Debi Taylor

Volunteering can make a big difference in many lives. It may lead in many directions and help in different ways. Debi Taylor’s volunteer accomplishments are especially notable for anyone concerned about Virginia nursing home standards: she played an important role in gaining enactment of statewide staffing requirements.

After serving in the U.S. Army and rising to the rank of captain, Debi spent more than a quarter century in the Department of State’s Inspector General office, retiring in late 2017 as director of its compliance division. It wasn’t long after leaving federal employment that she turned her attention to Virginia state government, this time as an AARP volunteer.

“I had been an AARP member. I was on their website where I saw ‘volunteer,’ so I clicked. I saw opportunities in Virginia, and advocacy immediately interested me. I kind of jumped into it with both feet and didn’t look back.”

Ever since, Debi has devoted considerable volunteer time urging state lawmakers to enact legislation that AARP supports. It starts by meeting and establishing relationships with delegates and state senators when the General Assembly is not in session. Then each winter, Debi and other advocates see them again at the state capitol when the lawmaking process actually occurs.

“They’re honest and sincere,” she said of the legislators she meets. “Some pull out their AARP cards to let you know they are members.”

Debi said her efforts have brought both successes and rewards. She pointed in particular to a state law passed in 2023 setting minimum staffing standards in Virginia nursing homes — standards that under the law will take effect July 1 of this year. Jared Calfee, AARP Virginia’s associate state director for advocacy, said Debi was an “extremely effective advocate” in helping gain passage of these standards.

“Virginia was one of a small number of states in the country without them, and advocates had been fighting to change that for two decades. Debi did hours and hours of exhaustive research to pull data points that demonstrated the poor quality of Virginia's facilities and could be used in our advocacy,” Calfee said.

“She helped lead regular meetings of coalition advocates, reported to the AARP volunteer advocacy team on our work, and took meetings with General Assembly members in support of our efforts. Ultimately, the state passed a bill implementing staffing standards for the first time,” he said.

Debi said that is the reward that can be found in volunteering.

“I find it rewarding in being able to give back to the community in this way, standing up for the 50-plus people who need our help and support. You can see an impact on the 50-plus community that is often overlooked and marginalized in the media and commercial corporations. I think we’ve made a big difference for seniors in Virginia.”

Debi contributes in other ways as an AARP volunteer in her home Fredericksburg area, offering presentations on subjects like brain health and decluttering along with staffing AARP tables at health fairs and other events. But she said she is always able to balance all that with finding time in retirement for personal interests like travel. There are many ways to volunteer, and she encourages others thinking about it to give it a try.

“I tell them to start out small and then expand. You will find that as you go along you will want to step in and participate more. It’s not just a great way to get out of the house and meet people, but also a great way to see the impact that AARP volunteers provide. Not just for the organization, not for us the volunteers, but for everyone else in the community. It is well worth the effort, so give it a try.”

See how far your volunteering can take you. Apply today at www.aarp.org/volunteer.