From volunteering as a Restaurant Ambassador for Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) to managing the choir at her church, Laura Petros certainly keeps herself busy in her retirement.
Though originally from Chicago, Laura considers herself a California native having moved here at seven years old when her father got a job in the aerospace industry and moved her family out west. After college, she too went into the aerospace industry and ended up in employee involvement, working with teams to help the company be more efficient.
When Laura retired early, she found herself looking for a volunteer opportunity, but was unsure of what she wanted. After speaking with her friend, Barbara ramsey-Duke, Laura was first introduced to BCHD at the annual Purpose Workshop in 2016. Soon after, she moved to Redondo Beach for a “more walkable place, when one thing led to another and this whole world opened up.”
Since then, Laura has volunteered many hours as a Restaurant Ambassador, which supports Blue Zones Project events and programs, such as helping to plan the monthly Social Hour and working with restaurants throughout the Beach Cities to give customers more options to make healthier choices, such as alternatives to sodas or fries for meal combos.
Kate Daucsavage, Grocery & Restaurant Specialist, who works with all of the Restaurant Ambassadors, described Laura as “an awesome volunteer because she is dependable and reliable. She brings many skills to the table and I appreciate her perspective because it’s thoughtful and deliberate. Not to mention she is kind and compassionate!”
After reading Dan Buettner’s book, The Blue Zones, Laura was inspired to apply those principles to her own life by walking more and losing weight.
When Laura isn’t volunteering, one can likely find her practicing the Blue Zones Power 9 Principle, Move Naturally, by walking around town. “Redondo Beach is so beautiful. I love to walk, and look at the ocean.” In her lifetime, Laura has completed two marathons and hiked up Mt. Whitney. Her advice to others thinking about volunteering is this: “No matter what your interests are, there is something for everyone.”
Written by Christina Parisi
