About | THE VILLAGE CONNECT

Who We Are

The Village Connectis a 501C.3 non-profit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness in Houston, TX. We are a growing network of community organizations, volunteers, and professionals working together to foster a network of resources, provide representation and security, and guide our homeless clients through the paths to stability.

Our Mission

Connecting organizations and individuals to create the Village needed to light a path towards stability and independence.

Our Vision

To foster an environment of connectedness, trust, and transparency with our clients and the external providers/partners with whom we work with in order to effectively address multiple issue of homelessness at once. We believe that by working together, we can provide personalized and comprehensive care for our clients focusing on representation, security, and stability.

Meet the Team

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Executive Director/Co-Founder

Truong Lam

Truong Lam is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of The Village Connect. Through the years as the executive director of a small nonprofit Truong has learned the importance of capacity building and developing real effective solutions to solve problems for The Village Connect's clients, coupled with his background in scientific research, he provides a unique perspective and position to be an effective leader in addressing social issues with a hypothesis-driven, scientific approach grounded in data and proven strategies.

Assistant Director

Geraldo Hernandez

Geraldo Hernandez is the Assistant Director for the Village Connect. Geraldo is a native Houstonian and a University of Houston - Clear Lake Alumni. Geraldo Studies Cultural Anthropology, focusing on inequalities within urban environments and uses this knowledge to improve the lives of fellow Houstonians through capacity building, and program development.

Communications Director/Co-Founder

Justin Mccullough

Justin McCullough is the Co-Founder and Communications Manager for The Village Connect. Justin is a native Texan and has worked in the non-profit community in Houston since 2014. This experience has gave him a deep appreciation for how non profits and its partners seek to improve the quality of everyday life for our community one step at a time.

Client Specialist/Navigator

Sheila Gaffney

Sheila Gaffney is a Client Specialist and Navigator for the Village Connect. Sheila began her civic service journey in 2001 as an advisory board member for Youth Challenge Women's Home, and later as the Co-Founder and Co-Director for Safe Haven Outreach Center. Sheila continues her service as she works toward improving the quality of life for all clients in our Village.

Career Specialist

Shahid Khan

Coming Soon

Our Interns

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

Health Advocate

Edom Kidane

Coming Soon.

Health Advocate

Sujay Marisetty

Coming Soon.

Donor/Gift Coordinator

Kira Pickle

My name is Kira Pickle and I have a background in Psychology with a heart and passion to help anyone in need of getting connected to the right resources! My motto is "I Choose Life" (mentally, physically, spiritually, etc.)- just keep knocking on door and keep moving forward.

Community Solutions Intern

Sara Steinfeld

Sara here! I am excited to join TVC and help the diverse Houston community. My background is in community health work and I love what I do. I just took the leap from research/ outreach to the clinical setting. I enjoy reading, being with family, and watching movies in my free time.

Social Media Coordinator

Hania Khan

Hi My name is Hania Khan and I am the social media coordinator for The Village Connect! I am excited to manage and enhance the TVC social media platform to accurately reflect the humble values and missions of TVC. I strive to bring compassion and awareness toward episodic homelessness in Houston.

Internal Operations Intern

Audrey Kent

Hi I'm Audrey! I'm a newly graduated graphic designer dedicated to positively impacting society. I want to use my design skills to raise awareness for homelessness in Houston and gain more support for this pressing issue.

Internal Operations Intern

Jaimi Ingram

Hi my name is Jaimi Ingram. I am a second-year student at Prairie View A&M University, double majoring in Architecture and Construction Science. I was born and raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas but moved to Greensboro, North Carolina my 8th grade year. In the future I plan to work in the housing industry as an architect and do work related to construction. I also plan to become a pro-bono lawyer to help fight issues that people without housing and low incomes face.

Community Solutions Intern

Windy Vo

Coming Soon.

Community Solutions Intern

Ariana Loyd

I am a college graduate from the University of Houston with a Bachelor's degree in psychology. I have 2+ years of experience working with non-profit organizations. My mission in life is to give back to the community in which I grew up. I am a compassionate individual who has the grit, heart, and persistence to ensure the client's success is my top priority.