Debra McBeth is a dedicated member of her community. When she was growing up in the Farragut Houses, her mother was a beacon of inspiration in her life. Debra watched her mother use her calm and outgoing personality to lend a helping hand, leaving an impact on everyone she helped. Volunteering alongside her mother, Debra discovered she loved the feeling she got from helping people and decided this was what she wanted to spend her time doing. Now a grown woman with a daughter and grandkids of her own, she follows in her mother’s footsteps. As a natural “people person,” Debra wants to use her life to do something meaningful for the people around her. 

Debra holds positions in three local grassroot organizations: Farragut Tenants Association, Mylah’s Organization and Farragut Stakeholders. Whether it’s organizing volunteers at the annual “Family Day,” planning trips to Washington DC and Shen Yun or helping to organize events like the annual book bag giveaway, she’s always forming connections with and between people in the community. She organizes events that appeal to diverse cultures and age groups, distributes flyers in multiple languages, and uses personal, repeated outreach to make all feel welcome. She says that since what she’s doing impacts many people for the better, it means the world to her. From time to time residents will come up to her and thank her for getting them to also volunteer at an event, try out for a job, and be there when it is needed most. This impact on people inspires her to keep going.