OCEANSIDE — The city of Oceanside announced Peter Cruz as Oceanside’s 2023 Senior Volunteer of the Year.
The award was announced Jan. 19 at a luncheon at Oceanside’s Country Club Senior Center, where Cruz was presented a plaque by Mayor Esther Sanchez, while she proclaimed it to be “Peter Cruz Day.”
Cruz, 84 years young, is a veteran of the United States Navy, having served as a medic during the Vietnam War, stationed in Saigon, and retiring after 26 years, but “never really retiring.” Peter and his wife Josenina have lived in Oceanside for the past 50 years. Cruz has volunteered at the city’s Country Club Senior Center for more than 10 years, putting in over 3,000 hours of volunteer service for the Senior Nutrition Program. Peter serves his community by delivering trays of food to senior visitors with a bright smile and a welcome greeting, making every senior citizen feel comfortable. He truly cares about the people he serves and enjoys making a difference in each person’s day.
Cruz’s name will join past award recipients engraved on the perpetual plaque that hangs in the lobby of Country Club Senior Center. The annual Senior Volunteer of the Year award is provided by the Oceanside Parks and Recreation Department to honor and recognize senior volunteers who do so much to support and improve our community.
For questions about senior services, enrichment classes, special events, swimming lessons, camps, and other Parks and Recreation programs, visit oceansiderec.com, or call (760) 435-5041.
