Peter Cruz, 84, Named Oceanside's 2023 Senior Volunteer Of The Year

By Debbie L. Sklar, Times of San Diego

January 20, 2023

Lots of seniors are making a difference like Peter Cruz of Oceanside.

He was recently selected as the city of Oceanside’s 2023 Senior Volunteer of the Year.

The award was announced on Thursday, Jan. 19 at a luncheon at Oceanside’s Country Club Senior Center, where Cruz was presented a plaque by Mayor 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.”

He and his wife Josenina have lived in Oceanside for 50 years. Cruz has volunteered at the city’s Country Club Senior Center for more than 10 years and putting in more than 3,000 hours of volunteer service for the Senior Nutrition Program.

Cruz 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 trulycares 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 andRecreation Department to honor and recognize senior volunteers who do so much to supportand improve our community. For questions about senior services, enrichment classes, special events, swimming lessons,camps, and other Parks and Recreation programs, please visit www.oceansiderec.com or call(760) 435-5041.

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