Urban Vision Alliance

07/26/2023

As summer heat waves continue, the unhoused are forced to deal with dangerous heat exposure, like the residents of Camp Hope in New Mexico. Learn about what the residents experience when extreme heat descends.

Residents of Camp Hope in Las Cruces are more equipped to deal with the staggering heat than people living on streets, but residents and staff stress that it’s no substitute for housing

07/14/2023

Looking to learn more about homelessness in California today? TIME covered the findings from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness in an article called "4 Charts That Explain How People Slide Into Homelessness."

A large new study asked almost 3,200 homeless people from all over California about what would have helped them avoid losing their housing.

06/06/2023

Welcome to the team, Bharathi!

Bharathi brings a wealth of knowledge to UVA through her experience in Salesforce Administration, Pardot, and the Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP). Outside of UVA, she volunteers as a Salesforce Administrator at Ripples in Africa, a nonprofit organization focused on investing in women entrepreneurs to create sustainable economic development in Africa. In her free time, Bharathi enjoys gardening, reading, and walking through nature.

05/24/2023

Welcome to Kyle!

Kyle helps oversee, implement, and train UVA on Salesforce. By leveraging best practice and business use cases, Kyle assists in creating a more efficient platform for daily usage. A long time educational professional, Kyle switched gears into the technology sector in late 2021. After spending almost a decade in higher education and collegiate coaching, he started a new career as a Salesforce Administrator. Kyle joined the team at UVA in 2023 while also doing Salesforce Administration for Simplify Compliance and MyComputerCareer. Having also volunteered at Family Promise of Harrisburg Capital and We, The World, he brings nonprofit experience to help bridge the gap from business to technology. Kyle has a Master's of Education in Educational Administration from University of South Alabama.

05/18/2023

Say hello to Andrew, a new UVA volunteer!

Andrew Burnett joins the team as a Salesforce Administrator from Charlottesville, Virginia. Here, he began working on CRM management at another UVA, the University of Virginia. Currently, he works remotely for MilliporeSigma as a Salesforce CPQ Product Owner, involved in a global, company wide implementation. He enjoys all things Salesforce and anything outdoors outside of work.

05/17/2023

While yesterday was Do Something Good For Your Neighbor Day, today is a reminder that every day is a good day to do something good for your neighbor. We encourage you to do an act of kindness for an unhoused neighbor.

Here are some ideas for what you can do:
- Give new clothing items
- Provide prepackaged food
- Stop and ask how their day is

You don't need to do a lot to show someone that you care and to be a kind neighbor.

05/12/2023

A reminder that being unhoused can happen to anyone for a variety of reasons. We must look after one another.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/28/us/bend-oregon-mayor-homeless.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Craig Coyner’s descent onto the streets of Bend, Ore., came after decades spent fighting as a lawyer and politician for those on the edge of society.

05/11/2023

In the final installment of our Mental Health Awareness Month series, we want to highlight the impact of mental health on unhoused youth.

In the 2022 San Francisco Point in Time Count (PIT Count), youth (under the age of 25) were more likely than adults to cite mental health issues are the cause of being homeless.

As we wrap up this series, we would encourage you to learn more about the intersection of homeless and mental health because it is an important element in this humanitarian crisis.

Source: San Francisco Homelessness Count and Survey, 2022 Comprehensive Report

05/10/2023

Not only are mental health issues a cause of homelessness, they also limit people from getting back on their feet.

Of the respondents to the 2022 San Francisco Point in Time Count, 12% cited mental health issues as a barrier to employment.

Source: San Francisco Homelessness Count and Survey, 2022 Comprehensive Report

05/05/2023

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we would like to take some time to spotlight the intersection of homelessness and mental health.

In the 2022 San Francisco Point in Time Count, 7% of respondents listed mental health issues as the primary cause of their homelessness, which makes it the fifth most cited reason.

Source: San Francisco Homelessness Count and Survey, 2022 Comprehensive Report

05/05/2023

Meet one of our newest volunteers, Kris Robinson!

Kris oversees UVA’s People and Business Operations. For over 25 years, she ran HR and Administration operations in a variety of industries including impact investing, biotechnology, SaaS, and venture capital. Kris has developed global teams in India, the UK, Africa, and Mexico and always found a home in scrappy, Silicon Valley startups. She values curiosity, creativity, and compassion in every aspect of life and brings these, along with a principles based approach to leadership and decision making.

05/04/2023

Eye contact may seem like a small thing, but it is such an important part of human relationships. However, often times our neighbors who are unhoused are ignored by those who pass by.

Watch this video by Invisible People to learn about the impact you can have with something as small as eye contact.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqLigPHEdvA

Eye contact is something most people take for granted, but for homeless individuals, it's a rare occurrence. Often, passersby choose to ignore them, looking ...