By: Christina Parisi

DeeAnn’s friendly smile and warm eyes are likely to put anyone at ease. Native to the South Bay, she was born and raised in El Segundo before making Redondo Beach her forever home. After years of working in office administration, DeeAnn decided it was time to semi-retire and begin volunteering. After putting in a call to Beach Cities Health District (BCHD), she was encouraged to apply to the volunteer program. Now, she is celebrating her one-year anniversary as an administrative services front desk volunteer.

DeeAnn admits that she instantly enjoyed her volunteer work at BCHD. “I love what Beach Cities stands for,” explained DeeAnn with a smile. “They are so appreciative of our help.”

DeeAnn is assigned a variety of tasks at BCHD. One day she’s counting peas for the garden program and the next, she’s inputting data from children nutrition surveys. Being able to utilize her office administration skills for an organization she proudly supports makes her very happy. Once she walks through BCHD’s doors, DeeAnn says she feels good and happy — a feeling that will likely rub off on anyone who talks to her. Others in the office agree that she is a delight to work with.

Valerie Lee, BCHD administrative services officer, remarked, “DeeAnn is always so professional and positive when assisting BCHD staff and visitors. No matter how easy or challenging the project, she is always willing to help and gives one hundred percent. We are so fortunate to have DeeAnn on our volunteer staff!”

Jackie Berling, BCHD chief wellness officer, said of DeeAnn, “she is smart, proactive, team-oriented and organized!”