News Flash

When Louease May retired three years ago from her job with Sherwood Medical Industries, her friends asked her what she would do with all of her free time.

“I told them I would keep busy by helping people,” said May, a DeLand native. “And that’s exactly what I’ve done.” 

Whether it is taking people to their doctor’s appointments, encouraging locals to vote or assisting with food giveaways, May said she’s been blessed to be able to help others in need.

May’s love for her community and others is what lead to her being chosen as the 2022 DeLand Volunteer of the Year.

“I’m a giver and doing things for others makes me happy,” May said. “If I can help someone along the way, I know my living is not in vain.”

Nazrine Navetia wrote in May's nomination that she is often collecting food and delivering it to the elderly and running errands for people, doing “small stuff that needs to be done, just giving a helping hand.”

Another one of her nominators, Shilretha Dixon, who serves as Executive Director for the Dr. Joyce M. Cusack Resource Center, wrote that while May “holds no formal title or affiliations, her willingness to share her time and talent to lend a helping hand and to show kindness makes the greatest difference in the lives of the individuals who are touched by her generosity.”

“There are people who watch things happen, and there are people who wonder what happened, and then you have Ms. Louease, a person who makes things happen,” Dixon wrote.

May’s name will be inscribed on a plaque that will be placed in our Volunteer Walk of Fame in Downtown DeLand. May and our other nominees – Martin Giblin, Tanna Gartside, Chaplain Herbert Becker, Dr. Primrose Cameron and Joe Hearn – will be recognized at the City Commission meeting on January 3.

May was shocked and humbled when told of the recognition, though she was not seeking any accolades.

“God blessed me with being able to assist people that otherwise can’t do those things for themselves,” she said. “I just like to see people happy and being able to put a smile on someone else’s face.”