With a charming sense of humor, one will likely know when Howard Darvey is in the room. You may have even had the chance to meet Howard, as he can be found sitting behind the Center for Health and Fitness (CHF) front desk weekly.
Originally from up north, Howard moved down south after getting a job offer in Los Angeles in the 1980s and eventually he moved to Redondo Beach in the 90s and has been here since. After retiring from his work as a pharmacist for Centinela Hospital in 2012, Howard began to look for volunteer opportunities. Already a member at CHF, having joined back in 2005, Howard knew about Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) and the programs they offered. But with more time on his hands, he decided to take his relationship with CHF to the next level and become a volunteer. He thought to himself, “This looked like fun,” and he set about to make it happen. Howard explained, “The main attraction is the social aspect. Greeting people and getting to know them is nice and you develop a social network.”
As a CHF volunteer, Howard spends his time at the front desk, helping fold towels, checking people in, filling water and overall maintenance of the front desk area. He also volunteers for BCHD events and leads a Moai walking group on Thursdays. His hard work does not go unnoticed, with Alejandra Sierra, Human Resources Assistant, mentioning “Not only is Howard committed to volunteering at CHF, he also goes above and beyond his volunteer duties and delivers excellent customer service to all CHF guests. He always has a smile on his face and is eager to help the staff with what’s needed. The best part, he does a great job!”
And when he’s not volunteering his time, he enjoys watercolor painting and reading non-fiction. For anyone thinking about volunteering with BCHD, Howard would recommend it and in fact, has before. “It’s satisfying, doing a good deed, and it’s enjoyable at the same time.”
Written by Christina Parisi – This is Christina’s last month writing spotlights as she moves to focus on writing a book! We are so grateful for all of the time Christina gave to interviewing and writing up these spotlights and wish her the best!
If you are interested in becoming the next Spotlight writer or volunteering at CHF, please submit an application online at www.bchd.org/volunteer or contact Volunteer Services volunteers@bchd.org or (310) 374-3426 with any questions.
