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Volunteer Spotlight on Connie Scaggs: A champion for family caregivers

Giving back brings personal fulfillment

Cyndi Goforth,

AARP Virginia

Published May 21, 2026

Photo provided by Connie Scaggs

Supporting caregivers is a passion for AARP volunteer Connie Scaggs. Having cared for her parents for years, Scaggs understands firsthand the challenges caregivers face. She now uses that personal experience to help others navigate similar journeys.

Although Scaggs is involved in several aspects of AARP — including serving on the executive council and the speaker’s bureau — supporting caregivers remains her primary focus. “I want people to know what is out there to support them. It can be very hard physically and emotionally to care for others,” she said.

In addition, Scaggs stays up to date on caregiving regulations and new legislation. “I am eager to learn about any and all resources available for caregivers,” she explained. She also contributes to discussions at the state level, sharing what she hears from caregivers in the community.

Scaggs is especially encouraged by recent legislation aimed at supporting family caregivers, including measures that provide compensation or leave for those who need time off to care for loved ones. While much of this legislation has passed the Virginia General Assembly, some measures have yet to take effect. She also serves on the federal advocacy team for caregivers and veterans, advocating for caregiver support within those communities.

As an advocate, Scaggs understands that for many, the caregiving struggle is real. Educating caregivers is important to her, but so is taking the time to listen. “I want them to realize they are making the best decision they can with the information they have today — and not to look back,” she said.

She believes many caregivers carry unnecessary guilt about not being able to do everything. Through her talks, she ensures they are aware of AARP resources while also encouraging them to share their stories. “Caregiving can be lonely,” Scaggs added.

“I am so blessed to be able to give back. I like to share and help people,” she said. “It’s a blessing to others, but I’m the one who receives the blessing. It’s the gift I get in return.”

In her role with the AARP Speaker’s Bureau, caregiving is one of her most popular topics. “People come up to me and recall something I said — something that resonated with them. They tell me it made a difference,” she said.

Scaggs also speaks on topics such as decluttering, brain health, and how to adapt your home so you can live there safely for longer. One of her more lighthearted presentations focuses on therapeutic humor.

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“I teach people how to laugh,” she said. As a certified humor professional and member of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH), she leads classes and trains others in this approach.

In addition, Scaggs serves as a Stephen Leader in her church, training and supporting Stephen ministers in their roles as caregivers for people who are hurting. Stephen Ministries is a nonprofit Christian group that trains congregations and other organizations to assist in caring for people facing life difficulties.

She also appears monthly on the television station WDBJ in Roanoke for a segment called Here at Home. There, she highlights AARP’s involvement in topics such as fraud prevention, cryptocurrency awareness and Black History Month. In her five-minute segment, she aims “to let the community know what AARP offers,” she said.

As the Southwest representative on the AARP Virginia Executive Council, Scaggs works diligently to represent her region. She has lived in the Salem/Roanoke area for about 25 years and retired in 2017 from the Carilion Health System, where she served as senior director of operations for family medicine. Health care has been a lifelong career for her.

One of her most meaningful volunteer experiences is working with the National D-Day Memorial and the Honor Flights. She participated in her 12th Honor Flight last month, helping take veterans to Washington for a three-day weekend. “You are the guardian for that veteran,” she explained. She describes it as a deeply emotional experience, witnessing veterans being honored, respected, and welcomed home. “It is a very emotional weekend, filled with gratitude for their service.”

Although volunteering takes up much of her time, Scaggs also enjoys watching classic movies, reading, gardening, traveling and loving her two golden retrievers, Nala and Romen. She and a friend once spent two months traveling cross-country along Route 66, “a trip of a lifetime,” and return yearly to revisit, state by state.

Feeling grateful for her experiences, Scaggs offered simple advice: “Always find something you love and go volunteer.”