OCEANSIDE (KGTV) — It’s not often you see an 84-year-old serving food, but Peter Cruz has been doing this for the last decade. He volunteers in the cafeteria at the Oceanside Senior Center.
“A lot of people know me, but I could not remember their names at all,” Cruz said.
Despite a fading memory and arthritis in both knees, it’s clear Cruz knows what he’s doing. His eyes search the room, ready to say.
“Good morning!” he said.
To the next person who walks in, he’ll take their drink order or try to start a conversation.
“I just like to volunteer because I'm a socializer,' Cruz said. "I like to socialize with people.”
Cruz has lived a life of many accomplishments. He is a Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Navy for 26 years and was named Oceanside’s Senior Volunteer of the Year.
“This is an honor that I didn’t expect, he said. One of the biggest honors that came to my life.”
His name was recently added to a plaque with all the other Seniors of the Year. It will hang in the lobby of the Oceanside Senior Center, so Cruz can walk past it every time he comes in.
“I guess it was God’s blessing,” he said.
He says he hopes to keep serving his community for the rest of his life.
“I hope I could last another 20 years until I'm 100,” he said.
