Sole sister grew up tough, now warm volunteer

Forty-six-year-old Costa Mesa resident Mary Dzida has been

volunteering at the Costa Mesa Senior Center for four years --

assisting with lunch service, working at the front desk and anything

else she can do to help out. Dzida works three hours a day, four or

five days a week.

Dzida was born and raised in the South Bay. Before moving to Costa

Mesa, she volunteered at another senior center. She lives with her

parents -- who are of Croatian descent -- and helps take care of

them. She is learning how to speak Croatian, with the goal of

traveling there again someday -- she has not visited since she was 2.

Growing up in house full of boys -- Dzida has four brothers and no

sisters -- toughened her up a bit. They always bossed her around and

tried to talk her into doing all their chores.

Her family did a lot of traveling with her when she was younger --

Dzida’s mother always tells her about the time the 2-year-old got

lost in Paris.

The Daily Pilot’s Lindsay Sandham recently met Dzida and heard

about what compels her to devote so much time to volunteering and why

she enjoys it so much.

Why did you decide, of all the volunteer opportunities that exist,

to work at the senior center?

I like being with older people. I like to help them out; I’m a

friendly person. I just like doing stuff like that ... I used to help

my mom look after my grandmother when I was a kid.

Is that how you discovered that you like taking care of people?

Yes. My mom hired someone to take care of her -- she was a

live-in. When the live-in had the day off, I would help my mom and go

sit down with her, play cards with her when she could, and watch TV

with her.

Do you think you’ll ever switch your volunteer line of work, like

maybe work with children?

My goal is to stay here and volunteer with the senior center.

What is it that you like so much about being around the center?

I just like being with them. They’re more fun; they’re funny; they

joke around with you.

Do you have any favorite people around here?

Yes, I have one. I talk to him every time he comes here and he

always brings me goodies -- chocolate-chip cookies because I’m a

chocolate freak.