Volunteers bring well-honed skills to keep Newport Beach senior center buzzing
Bringing their lifetimes of experience to the task, two retired Newport Beach residents are among the many volunteers who keep OASIS Senior Center humming throughout the year. And they maintain they reap great rewards for their unpaid work.
“Volunteering [at the center] makes me feel good and gives me purpose,” said Mike Zimmerman, president of Friends of OASIS, the support arm of the facility that raises thousands of dollars annually for its programs, special events and newsletter to augment the $3.7 million the city earmarks in its budget for the center. “I’m here to assist the senior population in the community.”
Before he retired, Zimmerman ran a sales and marketing business geared toward the automotive industry. His experience has served him well in his volunteer leadership role at OASIS.
“I’m a car enthusiast along with motorcycles and anything with an engine,” laughed Zimmerman. “I still enjoy sales and marketing.”
It’s no surprise then that the sixth annual car show, coming up on Sept. 14, was Zimmerman’s brainchild.
“When I eventually sold my business I couldn’t imagine myself here at OASIS,” said Zimmerman. “When people retire they look for things to do like golf, boating, lawn bowling, pickleball.”
Zimmerman’s philosophy on retirement is that one needn’t look too hard for a purpose. “You won’t find it, it will find you,” he said.
Zimmerman, who first discovered OASIS when he attended an exercise class there with his wife 10 years ago, said “I really looked, and boom, it found me,” said “I’ve been president of Friends of OASIS for six years and I’m here every day volunteering, putting in at least 20 hours a week.”
‘Beats any experience’
“I think Newport Beach has the best senior center in the United States, it beats any experience you’ve had,” said OASIS member Howard Herzog, a lifelong volunteer. “It’s amazing! Everyone is a volunteer. What an amazing place.”
In recognition for his support enriching the lives of seniors, a plaque presented in 1984 by the Board of Trustees of the Educational Alliance is proudly displayed on a wall in Herzog’s Newport Beach home.
“My job as trustee of the Wallace S. Whittaker Foundation within the Educational Alliance of New York City was to oversee the senior services, which is how I got involved with seniors,” said the New York native.
Herzog moved full time to Newport Beach in 1988 while continuing to maintain his insurance brokerage office in New York until its closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For nearly 30 years, Herzog has volunteered his services in a variety of Newport Beach organizations. The last three years his volunteer job has been treasurer for the Friends of OASIS.
“I organize finances, set up budgets and see that we don’t overspend,” Herzog said. “I’m also on the Newport Beach Civil Service Board, which is a volunteer position appointed by the City Council.” The board provides oversight and advice to the council, primarily addressing city personnel issues.
He has also served as a commissioner on the Newport Beach Arts Commission and was an integral part of forming the Newport Beach Arts Foundation.
Herzog’s list of qualifications is long. He is a CPA, a Chartered Global Management Accountant, an attorney and insurance investigator for the jewelry and fine arts industry. When he’s not volunteering, he works as a consultant with Jewelers Mutual insurance.
Although Zimmerman and Herzog bring to the table different backgrounds and credentials, it’s their common goal to build together a strong and effective community at the center, which sees up to 12,000 participants per month.
“This isn’t your mom and dad’s senior center,” said Zimmerman. “This is a corporation, a lot of things are happening here that did not happen a decade ago — computer technology, fundraising, concerts — all to try to get the community involved in all these facets. That’s our goal.”
Zimmerman said the Friends of OASIS membership currently totals about 3,500. “We are all volunteers in one sense or another,” he said. “Depending on the event, like the yearly rummage sale ... there are literally hundreds of volunteers that help.”
OASIS Senior Services Manager Melissa Gleason confirmed there are roughly 150 volunteers. “And, as Mike mentioned, this number increases due to the size of the event and the need for more help.”
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