Within minutes of meeting Nancy Bhatt, one will likely be charmed by her smile and energy. It is clear Nancy loves volunteering her time to help people and her passion is contagious!
“I like doing what I do,” Nancy explains. “I love it. Anything that helps people. I love people.”
Arriving in America in 1974 from Kashmir, India, Nancy and her husband made their home in Michigan. Nancy kept herself busy by finishing her education while raising two daughters at the same time. She then went into education and worked as a kindergarten teacher for over twenty years at a Montessori school in Michigan.
In 2013, Nancy and her husband decided to make Redondo Beach, California, their next home in order to live closer to one of their daughters. Having left all her friends and volunteer groups behind in Michigan, Nancy soon found herself searching for ways to create new social connections and give back to her community.
Then, fate struck. A copy of BCHD’s quarterly magazine—LiveWell— came in Nancy’s mail one day and there she noticed, on one of its pages, that volunteers were needed. Lo and behold, Nancy’s relationship with Beach Cities Health District began.
Since then, Nancy has been volunteering her time with BCHD as an Event Ambassador, and often does so on a weekly basis. Her role is to deliver the message of BCHD and help promote its programs and services. Nancy works closely with the Blue Zones Project by helping residents complete pledges to make a healthy change in their life or answering questions at the events. Hearing her passionately speak about all the programs BCHD offers, from the Free Fitness Series, to the mindfulness drop in sessions, one will quickly understand how much Nancy enjoys her volunteer efforts and is thrilled to be a part of it all. “We are blessed,” she says when describing BCHD. “Nice people all around.”
Nancy lives her life as a vegetarian and loves to cook. She remembers when Blue Zones Project started in the Beach Cities in 2010, and how a potluck dinner became one of her best memories at BCHD. Shortly after the program started, Nancy and others were enjoying a Potluck Moai dinner when Blue Zones founder, Dan Buettner, joined them!
When Nancy isn’t volunteering, she loves to do yoga, travel the world and cook. But one of her all-time favorite things to do is play a game called Pickleball and she has been happy to see it gain in popularity throughout the Beach Cities. And who knows, perhaps Nancy's love and enthusiasm for the sport had something to do with that.
Written with thanks to Christina Parisi
