A Morristown woman will be honored in October for her work with the Morristown Emergency and Rescue Squad Crewettes.

Carolyn DeBord, 79, didn’t always live in Morristown, but she has been home for many years. Originally from Rogersville, Carolyn met her husband through a family member and moved to Morristown at age 18.

“(Vernon DeBord) my husband was already in the rescue squad,” Carolyn said. “He had been in the squad for 10 years when we married. I joined because he was in it and I’ve been there ever since.”

When asked about the Crewettes’ duties, Carolyn said that their goal is to aid and assist the squad men.

“If they’re out on a call, we make sure that they’re fed,” Carolyn said.

In the early days of the MERS, there were a lot of drowning calls in which crew members responded to. In the years since, these calls have sharply declined.

“Wherever they were, whether they were searching for a lost person, we took food to them,” Carolyn said.

When Carolyn began as a member of the Crewettes, the women took money out of their pockets to buy anything from food to prepare to dishwashing detergent. Thanks to fundraisers, these ladies won’t have to pay.

Also, a vehicle was purchased to take food to the crew members.

A task that is not often thought about in the Crewettes’ duties are to take care of struggling people and families.

“We help the community in all kinds of ways,” she said. “We used to help the MATS shelter a lot, the former YES (Youth Emergency Shelter), as well as the Hamblen County Recovery Court and its clients.”

During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, the Crewettes adopts a family with small children to which they can provide gifts and food for.

“We take them food that they can cook for at that time,” Carolyn said.

The Crewettes also cook the squad’s election meetings in which officers are selected.

At the end of July, squad members receive a “Thank You” meal for their service. Carolyn is also a part of the Squad’s annual Christmas Party for members and their immediate families.

“This is community work,” Carolyn said. “It’s taking care and giving.”

Every fourth Wednesday, the Crewettes for the Men’s Morristown-Hamblen EMS Board.

When asked what volunteering has meant to her in helping the Crewettes, Carolyn said it is helping others.

“I like the pleasure that I get in knowing that I helped someone. We not only aid the squad, but the community. Just that I can give is the most important part. We’ve done a lot of that.”

Among other activities that the Crewettes do are preparing baskets for others.

“When we give the baskets to families, the little children’s eyes light up,” she said. “They run to their moms and they’re so excited. That means the most to me.”

When asked what she does to keep going, Carolyn said that once one helps in this way it gets in their blood.

“You feel like you become part of a family,” Carolyn said. “We all stick together and help each other. We’ve raised our children there. We worked vacations around things that the Squad did to make sure we were there.”

The Crewettes had helped to build floats for the Morristown Christmas Parade for years. Two or three women would also cook a big meal, pay a couple of dollars and eat.

“Those were the fun things that we did,” Carolyn said. “You get involved and you want to stay because of the good that one does.”

Changes over the years have been good for the Crewettes, Carolyn said.

“These changes have allowed us to do more for the community,” she said.

In the days since Carolyn began on the Crewettes, the number of drownings has decreased sharply thanks to modern swimming methods and the increased use of personal flotation devices, also known as life-jackets.

Also included is the fact that the MERS has dive teams and technology to see underwater.

“We’re happy about that,” she said.

The Crewettes also take things to the area nursing homes, such as lotion and hygiene items. They have donated to area nonprofits, such as the Hamblen County Isaiah 117 House.

In her job as a volunteer, Carolyn has seen the problems in the world and in the community that one doesn’t recognize that is there.

“It’s greater than we realize,” she said. “(During the winter,) we sometimes leave some blankets or pillows out for the homeless “Anytime we see a need, we try our best to part of (the solution),” she said. “I have learned that there are people who really don’t want our help. We offered and we give from our hearts. We feel like if we give and some don’t appreciate or use, we give it to them in good faith. You learn a lot about your community that you didn’t realize existed. More people need help that you realize.”

Carolyn also serves in the state EMS Auxiliary Association. She is a life member of both the local and state groups.

She has been a member of the state association since 1976, the same year she became a member of the local Crewettes.

“I’ve held every office in my local auxiliary and every office in the state auxiliary except for treasurer,” Carolyn said. “They have had the same treasurer for many years. If you’ve got a good one, you don’t change them.”

She is also co-chair of the Hospitality Room at the annual Convention in October. The convention has been in Pigeon Forge the last few years.

“We feed about 150-plus people each day who attend the convention because that saves them a lot of money,” Carolyn said.

The Crewettes sponsored Carolyn in 1988 for the “First Lady of Morristown” award.

Carolyn is also involved with the Order of the Eastern Star, the women’s fraternity of the Masonic Lodge. She has also been involved with the Shriners’ project for shoes for children for the last 16 years.

“I love going to put the shoes on children when the Shriners do their thing,” Carolyn said. “I think I get more pleasure than they do.”

In addition to those activities, Carolyn loves to read, travel and stating the obvious, cook.

“I cook a lot,” she said. “God gives us a talent. Cooking must be mine because I can’t sing.”

Carolyn lamented that volunteering is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

When asked how long she will continue to serve, Carolyn was upfront with her answer.

“I’ll still work with the Crewettes as long as I’m able. Vernon would want me to continue on. I feel like I’m still to do it. I’ve given 50 years and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it. He would be proud.”

Debord will receive her 50-year award at the state convention in Pigeon Forge.