Formerly Berkeley Food & Housing Project
Employee Spotlight: Irvin Perkins
For this Employee Spotlight, we are featuring our Custodian Irvin Perkins. We had the opportunity to chat with Irvin about his life and career, and what she likes about working at BFHP.
Irvin started as the Custodian at Berkeley Food & Housing Project in 2012. He’s always on the move from facility to facility and even pitches in in the kitchen if needed.
Tell us about your career at BFHP
I answered a job add in June 2012, and since then it’s been really good!
What is your favorite thing about working for BFHP?
Seeing the transformation. It’s very gratifying to see people be in one condition when they come in and then be in a different place and getting housed.
What advice would you give to someone looking to go into social services as a profession?
Get your work boots on and come on and work! There’s plenty of work to do, and we’ve got a great group of managers here, but you have to learn to be patient with the people that we work with.
What motivates you every day?
I love coming to work and doing things. I’m not a guy to sit around, even when I get a couple days off, I am ready to come back to work.
What is your biggest success of the past year?
I painted the whole interior of the Dwight Way Center and Russell Street.
What are you passionate about?
Seeing people change their lives. The staff here is really good about helping them move on to the next phase.
Do you have any pets?
I used to have a dog, but he passed away. Now I just go visit my friends with pets.
Tea or coffee? Or another favorite beverage.
I’m a coffee person, but only until 10 o’clock in the morning.
Where do you consider “home”?
I live in Antioch now, but I’m originally from Texas.
On a day off, what would we find you doing?
It depends on what day it is! I have a lot of projects I do for my church, my pastor keeps asking me when I’m going to retire.
What is your favorite ice cream?
Vanilla.
What is your go to comfort food?
There’s nothing like a good tamale.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
My mother told me “Always be on time and never be late to your job, and if you have a job you don’t like doing, you should get a new job.”
What is your go to activity for relaxation or to decompress?
I relax when I go to church and listen to the sermons or visiting with some of the senior members of our congregation, to hear their stories and see life through their eyes. I find that very relaxing.
Join our team! bfhp.org/careers