Who we are...

Joey Harrison is the in-district Block by Block Operations Manager for the Temescal BID’s maintenance services, where he provides responsive, dedicated, high quality service to the Temescal BID, and takes the lead for specialized services and projects. Prior to Temescal, Mr. Harrison held the position of Team Lead for the Ambassador team in Downtown Berkeley.

Mr. Harrison's background includes years of experience and training, working with individuals experiencing mental health issues, substance abuse issues and homelessness. Utilizing his multilayered experiences, as part of the Temescal BID Pilot Community Engagement Program, Mr. Harrison, along with the ambassadors, engage with all members of the Temescal Community and provide a sense of hospitality, safety and assistance to deal with quality of life issues, as well as providing a welcoming presence in the Temescal District. 

Temescal has seen a significant improvement in community relations, as a direct result of implementations and concepts fashioned by Mr. Harrison. Mr. Harrison has made huge strides within the Temescal community, and beyond. He  has developed  an interactive  and diverse network of community partners with which he works. 

Joey utilizes his experience and training to increase communication and build relationships with all members of the Temescal Community.. Mr. Harrison provides training on how to compassionately and respectfully interface with persons experiencing homelessness and mental health issues. He has developed a  focused de-escalation training session for businesses and their staff. His training's and methods of approach have led to improved business relations.

The Village of Love was created because Joey recognizes that only as a community, can we begin to make a change. He sees the Village of Love beyond the Bay Area and California. The Village of Love is making a difference, one neighborhood at a time. 

Daniel Cooper is a vastly skilled public health professional with over a decade of experience in addressing social determinants of health through community development, grant administration, and program management. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Health Services Administration and a Master of Public Health with a focus on research. Throughout his career, Mr. Cooper has worked to improve health outcomes and opportunities for marginalized communities and has advocated for homelessness legislation at the national level.

His early work at the College of Central Florida supported low income and first-time college students with registration and retention strategies. Later, at the Broward County Health Department and Habitat for Humanity, he developed programs linking social determinants of health to underserved communities. In 2015, Daniel helped establish a Federally Qualified Health Center in Ocala, Florida. At HUD Upstate Continuum of Care in South Carolina, he managed housing and homelessness programs, as Director of Strategic Initiatives. 

His recent roles include Director of Community Engagement at Brothers Restoring Urban Hope, and a consultant for Marin County’s Participatory Budgeting model.

Mr. Cooper’s grantsmanship, program design, and policy advocacy has made a significant impact, particularly in underserved communities. He is dedicated to cross-sector collaboration and creating sustainable public health solutions.

Mr.  Burruss has been managing people and programs for over 30 years. He enjoys training employees and tapping into their unknown potential. He believes people are the greatest asset that an  organization can have. 

Mr. Burruss’ personal goal is to show love, dignity, and  respect to each and every person he meets. Mr. Burruss also understands the  importance of mentoring the next generation of leaders. After serving our country in  the United States Army, he graduated from San Jose State in 1992, with a degree in Business Management. 

For over 10 years, Allbert has been  involved in Urban Placemaking and is committed to eagerly serving the  community. 

Jerri Forriest, formerly the Director of Operations for The Village of Love. As Director of Operations, Jerri was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day and continued operations of all VOL programs. She assisted the Executive Director in promoting the growth and development of VOL. As grant developer, she was contributory with the procurement of the inaugural and subsequent programs of VOL. Jerri worked to develop operative standards, implement policies, generate efficient strategies, and ensure the overall goals, objectives and mission, were carried out. 

Ms. Forriest has an extensive background in administrative and business organizational development. Her experience includes Patient Services Coordinator of a Hospital, Operations Manager of a Medical Career School, Office Manager of a WIC (Women Infants and Children) Clinic, Executive Administrator for a Healthy Start Clinic, Front Office Administrator of a Mental Health Day Treatment Facility and Operations Coordinator for Run With Us, a social and life educational travel group for women in recovery; or who have experienced trauma.

Jerri believes in generosity from the heart, doing for others in need, and not expecting anything from them in return.

As Program Director, Mr. Scott is responsible for multi program  management, staff development, team building and providing motivational  leadership. Mr. Scott discovered his passion for Community Organizing,  while serving as a lead organizer with the Black Organizing Project. Mr.  Scott utilizes those organizational skills to build relationships with  community organizations and provide street outreach throughout encampments and neighborhoods.

Having  been unsheltered himself, Raj has "lived experience" and genuinely  understands the battles and struggles associated with being unsheltered.

“I  believe in progress and not perfection, therefore I show grace to  individuals from any and every walk of life because that same grace was  shown to me.”

Katie Larson has been the Program Administrator at the Village of Love since 2023. Prior to joining VOL, she was the Executive Director of the Temescal Telegraph Business Improvement District, where she began as a Program & Marketing Assistant. Katie has organized large scale fundraisers, community events and collaborative municipal round tables aimed to address public concerns and work toward positive outcomes.

In her current capacity as Program Administrator, Katie also serves as the HMIS liaison. 

Since graduating from UC Berkeley, Katie has spent the past several years serving community-focused nonprofit organizations and is grateful for the opportunity to bring her expertise and skillset to The Village of Love.

For over 25 years, Mr. Gorham has worked in the field of addiction treatment and counseling psychology. His primary focus has been working with homeless individuals, those diagnosed with mental disorders and individuals who are incarcerated.  

Mr. Gorham is the former Executive Director of Options Recovery Services and developed the Options Recovery Services clinical program in Berkeley, CA., which now operates multiple sites within Alameda and Contra Costa counties. He established a specialized program for individuals suffering from substance use disorders and moderate to severe mental health disorders, in conjunction with Alameda Behavioral Health Services. He also founded the Addiction Recovery program at San Quentin State Prison.

Tom has a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with the State of California Board of Behavioral Sciences and is a Certified Substance Use Disorder Counselor CADPT.

As an active and participating member of his community, Tom serves on several Advisory Board Committees, including California Association of Drug and Alcohol Counselors, National Association of Drug and Alcohol Counselors, University of California Peoples Park, and San Carlos Foundation.

 Shifra de Benedictis-Kessner is an economic development professional  with over 13 years working in the East Bay. Shifra works for the City of  Oakland Economic Development Department, and previously led the  Temescal Telegraph Business Improvement District as Executive Director for six years, managing diverse programs to create a beautiful, welcoming, and prosperous commercial district, including  district-wide cleaning and maintenance, marketing, and a  homeless outreach program. Shifra came to the Temescal district from the Downtown Berkeley BID, where she worked as Program Assistant and then  Marketing Manager for four years, managing and implementing the BID's events,  marketing programs and strategic communications. She graduated from the College of William and Mary with a bachelor degree in Public Policy and Hispanic  Studies. Shifra brings her expertise in non-profit management and data-driven  decision making, as well as her experience co-creating a homeless  outreach program with Joey Harrison for the Temescal BID, to her role on  the Village of Love Board. 

Bay Area Rapid Transit

Fremont Bank, General Manager

Area Agency on Aging Division Director at Contra Costa County

RN, MSN, PHN, CWOCN, FNP-BC at Alameda Health Systems

and AHS's Mobile Health Clinic

Substance Abuse Counselor

Executive Director of EIKON, an Oakland-based nonprofit and church focused on empowering under-served and unsheltered people in the East Bay