Behind the Scenes

Photo Story by Jerome Paulos

San Francisco USPS Network Distribution Center 2501 Rydin Road, Richmond, California

“Everyone just sees that postman out on the street delivering the mail, people don’t see us on the inside doing the work.” – Ken

Ken has worked at the USPS for more than 30 years. He likes his job because he gets to play many different roles in many different locations. He's worked as a transportation manager, plant manager, maintenance manager, and operations manager in multiple Bay Area Locations. Outside of work, he coaches baseball and soccer, and plays guitar.Rita was hired at the USPS in 2006. She transports mail around the facility for shipment to different USPS locations. She came for the steady pay and good benefits, and stayed because she enjoys the work environment and finds satisfaction in making sure everyone gets their packages on time. Outside of work, she is a mother of two.Jona has worked at the NDC for "maybe 22 or 24 years." She loads departing packages onto the massive system of conveyor belts that sort the mail. When she's not working, she likes reading and relaxing in her home in Hercules. She's stayed because she likes the work, and she's "never found a good reason to leave" the USPS NDC.Brandon is an engineering intern at the USPS NDC in Richmond. He graduated from Cal Poly in 2016 for Industrial Engineering. He likes working in a place where he can utilize skills he learned in college. Unlike his colleagues who have worked at USPS for more than a decade, Brandon started last January, but already feels at home in his new job.

The Natural Grocery Company 1336 Gilman Street, Berkeley, California

Dolma has worked at the Natural Grocery in Berkeley for seven years. She got the job when she moved from India to a house across the street from the grocery. Her parents are Tibetan, but she was born in India. On the weekends when she's not working, she likes to go on hikes in Tilden Regional Park and the Marin Headlands.

Acme Bread Company 1601 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, California

Armando has worked at Acme Bread since 1993. Before working at Acme, he worked at Royal Bakery in San Francisco and Semifreddi's in Kensington. He decided to stay at Acme because of the quality. "It's the best in the Bay Area." Armando thinks about baking inside and outside of work. "I love baking, [it is] all I think about."Jerome Paulos is a staff photographer for the Berkeley High Jacket. Special thanks to USPS, The Natural Grocery Company, and the Acme Bread Company. You can see more of his work on his website.ALL CONTENT ©️ BHS JACKET UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED