Cliff is our Housing Services Maintenance Coordinator, aka our fairy godfather who keeps our buildings up and running! Learn more about Cliff’s role and what brought him to Lift.
What’s your role at Lift?My role at Lift is Maintenance Coordinator at Supportive Housing, the Emergency Shelter, and the Community Resource Centre.
I usually arrive at the Supportive Housing building at about 7:45 in the morning. I start off by checking my e-mail and reading the shift log. I then touch base with the front-line staff to see how everybody is doing and if there is anything that requires urgent attention. I do a walkabout of the building inside and out and attend to anything that needs doing, then go over outstanding task lists and get an idea of what is going to need my attention over the next few days. From there my day just seems to flow into getting stuff done, as there is always two, three, or four tasks that need doing.
After a 29-year career in building supply management I needed a change and became a garbage truck driver. Covid changed those plans, however, and I ended up working in the supportive housing community in Squamish. I did not know much about Lift when I first started here but everyday I learn more about what we do and it fills my soul to be part of an amazing community called Lift. Working for Lift has invigorated me by making me passionate about my work life.
What do you want the community to know about the people Lift supports?
I would like the community to know that the people that we support are people just like them. They put their pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else. They all have a life story and while it may be different from ours it is theirs and theirs alone and they are getting by and in several cases thriving because of the work that we are doing here.
Anything special memories or stories to share from working here?
The more time I spend with the people who in supportive housing and learn about their stories, the more I know that there are some pretty amazing people who live here.