Volunteering comes naturally to Pernisa Perkins. After all, she was a nurse. So it’s fitting Perkins was named Volunteer of the Year for her service at the Active Adult Center by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.
“We couldn’t offer all the programs that we do here at our center if it weren’t for volunteers like Pernisa, who go above and beyond to help us,” said Kathi Gargiulo, senior program supervisor “She is truly one in a million and we’ve very lucky to have her with us!”
Perkins was born and raised in Chicago, Ill. Her nursing travels took her family to California where she married and had two children. They eventually moved to Georgia, where they have lived for more than 30 years. Perkins specialized in neonatal care and worked at the-now Piedmont Eastside hospital. While there, she became the recipient of the “The Daisy Award”, an international award that recognizes exceptional nurses.
Perkins was a school mom volunteer as well as a substitute teacher at J.C. Magill Elementary and Snellville Middle School. During that time, she volunteered for “Relay for Life” and the annual preemie parties at the hospital. She also volunteered at her church, helped at the polls during election times, and as a tax preparer she provided assistance to both her family and friends. As a member of the Snellville Senior Center since 2019, she often volunteers at the front desk answering phones, taking members on tours, assisting with assembling the newsletters, helping decorate and clean up for special events, and even assisting on the overnight trips. She has also become a regular coordinator for the monthly Bingo.
“SPRD staff are here to serve our community and love to do just that,” said Parks and Recreation Director Lisa Platt, CPRP. “However, often there just isn’t enough time in the day for staff to get it all done. When volunteers like Ms. Perkins step up to help us, the result is a win for us all. I am immensely grateful to Pernisa and all the others who volunteer for SPRD in one capacity or another to help us serve Snellville……it is what helps bring us together as a community!”