A lifelong calling to care for others
Meet Debbie Kelley, a Senior Companion volunteer in Brigham City. Debbie is a Utah native, born and raised in Ogden, who recently moved to Brigham City. Earlier in her career she worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, a role she absolutely loved. Debbie spent many years out of state but always knew she wanted to return to Utah. When she got back, she knew she wanted to work with seniors again. When she heard about the Senior Companion program with AmeriCorps Seniors and UServeUtah, she jumped at the opportunity. She has been volunteering since October 2024. Between her dedication to older adults and her proudly unique love of watching wrestling, we truly can’t imagine our program without her.
Debbie chose to volunteer because she loved to be around older adults, and it reminds her of when she was younger. “I chose to volunteer because I probably need a companion too, to lift my spirits,” she said. “Now I just have a good time. They understand me, and I understand them. We just click.”
Finding companionship through service
We asked Debbie how volunteering has impacted her life. She said, “It’s really a great thing for me! When I’m out with my clients, I just enjoy myself. It has given me a family and friends, since I don’t have a lot of those. It has given me people I trust and talk to, and gets me out of my apartment. I enjoy this program a lot. The stipend really doesn’t matter, it helps a little bit, but I just enjoy being around my clients. They ease my mind when we have good talks, and they can tell me about ‘back when…’ I love that I can hear their stories!”
One of Debbie’s strengths in being a Senior Companion is just simply showing up with her fun- loving personality. “I’m a person they can talk to. They’re always telling me that I’ve got a great sense of humor. Everything we talk about starts out serious, and then we eventually end up in a joke.”
For those that may feel a little hesitant at the prospect of being asked to be a companion to people you don’t know, take heart from Debbie: “My client and I were both quiet and timid with each other at first, but it only took a few days. And now both of us can’t stop talking! We just laugh, and we have a really good time.”
In her service, Debbie does a number of wonderful things for her clients. From taking them to physical therapy or to socialize with their friends, talking them through avoiding a scam, or simply just being a listening ear, she goes the extra mile and has made true friendships along the way. “I couldn’t ask for better clients, better people to be around,” she said. “I just love their company and they enjoy mine.”
When presence matters most
Debbie has made a difference, especially for one family. She was assigned a woman who was bedridden and a widow for nearly a decade. Debbie would give the woman’s caregivers a break, and just listen to everything her client had to say. She loved to have the company. Little did Debbie know that those talks would be cherished in the final months before her client passed away. “She really appreciated that I was there for her a lot with her illnesses before she passed away.”
Debbie was able to attend her client’s funeral, but she was also able to bring her other client, the woman’s sister-in-law, to the funeral. Without Debbie, she would not have been able to attend, so it was very meaningful that both of them could be there. “It was a sad time, and I took it really hard. But it was memorable. She loved the color red, so she had a beautiful red casket. She’s gone, but she’s with her husband, and now she’s no longer in pain.” Debbie is grateful that she had the chance to meet her and get to know her, and that she can continue to serve that family.
It is clear that Debbie has developed true friendships with her clients. We are inspired by her service.
If you are interested in being a Senior Companion like Debbie, please contact us at 801-538-3999 or fill out our contact form at https://bit.ly/AmeriCorpsSeniorsUtah