Mayor Lara Anderson presents Beverli Jinn with the Volunteer of the Month Award at the November 20 City Council meeting. Photo by Andrea Swayne
By Sea Shelton, Senior Management Analyst, Dana Point Administrative Services
Beverly Jinn was born and raised in Orange County and has lived in Dana Point since 2001. Her familiarity with the Dana Point area goes back to the ’60s when her parents lived in the vicinity.
Although not a surfer, she spent a lot of time on the beach between North Beach and Killer Dana. Water quality and care for our watersheds has always been a major concern for Beverli. She believes that the residents of Orange County’s South Coast can lead the way in establishing and maintaining a healthy watershed. Several years ago, Beverli, along with Paul Peck, founded the Dana Point Earth/Ocean Society with the intent of raising awareness of environmental concerns through the youths of the community. By educating children about the problem, they can help educate their parents and siblings and help provide a long-term, multigenerational effort.
Beverli’s volunteer work goes well beyond water quality. In fact, she has been involved with several community organizations. Her first participation as a volunteer was with the Dana Point Historical Society. She became involved with the Historical Society at the urging of her neighbor, Robin Hervey. Her work with the Society includes editing the monthly newsletter, providing the sound system for events like the annual barbecue and working on the annual home tour.
Beverli, along with Robin, works with the animal shelter every year, preparing and placing and then storing all the signs for the Wag-a-Thon each spring. She has also helped set up the speaker system for other shelter events. She has worked as a volunteer docent for the Ocean Institute, putting in a four hour stint at the tide pools on days when a low tide made it possible to search for and protect the creatures that live there.
She previously had a regular column in the Dana Point Times titled “All Hands, Ahoy.” After taking a break, she has recently returned as a regular contributor to the publication.
Whenever and wherever she can help out she is ready and willing. From assisting in setting up the Christmas scene at the Fountains at Sea Bluffs community to being a volunteer helper at Richard Henry Dana Elementary school, Beverli is always willing to lend a helping hand. Beverli’s good friend Paul Peck describes her as the kind of volunteer every organization yearns for.
Although it is without a doubt that Beverli is a great asset to the many organizations she is involved with, she believes that her involvement with the community is less about it needing her but more about her needing the community.
The city of Dana Point would like to congratulate Beverli on being selected as the Volunteer of the Month for November 2012 and to thank her for her dedicated service to the community. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed, and the community and the city are genuinely thankful for her contributions.
