May We Introduce You?
Jessicah Schoenfeldt is our Berkeley Community Resource Center's Program Coordinator. She joined the team in 2019 after a conversation with her mentor, Robbi Montoya. She worked as a caregiver previously.
Like many of the employees at Dorothy Day House, it was almost inevitable that she would end up as part of our team.
"It seemed straightforward that I would come to work here," Jessicah said, "I had been between positions, and Dorothy Day House was looking for a shelter monitor."
Originally from the Bay Area, Jessicah has always felt called to serve others - and credits her mother for instilling a sense of duty to others in her.
"Growing up with my mother, that was how it is. She's been in this for decades - we take care of our family and we take care of our neighbors," Jessicah says, "This work was already instilled in me."
Having lived through homelessness herself, Jessicah views her work as a way to pay it forward to others.
"It was a rough time in my life - but I was able to get help. And now I want to do what I can to help people get out of their situation," Jessicah says, "Homelessness is not always in someone's control - there are so many outside forces at work that could put any one of us in that position."
"This work gave me a purpose," Jessicah continued, "Everyone always tells me that I am good at what I do, but I think I'm good because of what I do."
When she is not working, Jessicah can be found spending time with her family, reading, and watching movies.