Staff
Our Purpose
Our plan (Congregate Seasonal Shelters) will make over night shelters for the Homeless during seasons of harsh weather in churches.
Here at BRACH we aim to help end the struggles that Homeless people face everyday.
Board of Directors
Anthony Haro
Chair
Housing Program Manager
Albemarle County
Taylor Harvey-Ryan
Secretary
Grants Program Manager
City of Charlottesville
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Paul Martin
Treasurer
Associate Professor of Public Policy, General Faculty
University of Virginia
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Greer Achenbach
Executive Director
Friends of Charlottesville Downtown
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Misty Graves
Director, Department of Human Services
City of Charlottesville
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The BRACH Board of Directors meets on the fourth Friday of every month from 1:00-3:00 PM, unless otherwise indicated. The meetings are open to the public and held virtually.
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Ayanna Hall
Resident Opportunities Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Services Coordinator
Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority​​
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Alice Micklem
Assistant Director
Albemarle County Department of Social Services​
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Cameron Moore​
Interim Executive Director
PACEM
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Carmelita Wood​
President, Fifeville Neighborhood Association
Board Member, Piedmont Community Land Trust, Albemarle Housing Improvement Program, Charlottesville Low Income Housing Coalition
CoC Board Membership Recruitment
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Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless (BRACH) welcomes organizations and community stakeholders interested in strengthening our regional response to homelessness.
At least annually, BRACH publicly invites interested organizations and community members to express interest in serving on the Continuum of Care Board. Recruitment opportunities are shared through BRACH’s website, CoC communications, stakeholder outreach, and other community channels to ensure broad awareness and participation.
The CoC seeks diverse representation from organizations and individuals with experience and expertise relevant to homelessness, housing, supportive services, healthcare, behavioral health, local government, philanthropy, business, people with lived experience of homelessness, and other community sectors. New members are considered through an open and transparent process consistent with the CoC’s governance policies and HUD requirements.
Organizations and community members interested in learning more about CoC Board membership are encouraged to contact BRACH's Executive Director, Shayla Washington.
History of Our Continuum of Care
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Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless (BRACH) is formerly known as Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless (TJACH). The organization was founded in 1998, recognizing the increasing number of people sleeping on the streets of Charlottesville.
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In November 2004, PACEM (People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry) formed in response to the number of people living unsheltered, in their vehicles, and doorways of businesses and churches in the downtown area. PACEM serves as the CoC's seasonal, cold-weather shelter, open November through mid-April. Depending on the congregation host, which rotates every two weeks, the shelter can typically accommodate 40 men and 15 women. Non-binary and gender fluid individuals can reside at the site where they feel most comfortable.
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In 2009, TJACH became a 501(c)(3), after President Obama signed the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act. The HEARTH Act codified the Continuum of Care into law, combining multiple grants into one, and shifting focus from transitional to permanent housing.
Previous Executive Directors:
Anthony Haro (2017-2023)
Erin Briggs Yates (2016-2017)
Kaki Dimock (2009-2016)
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In January 2010, BRACH's first Executive Director, Kaki Dimock, was tasked with opening and operating The Haven, a multi-resource day shelter and housing resource center.
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Our CoC is also home to The Salvation Army, which has been serving Charlottesville since 1912. The shelter is program-based and has 28 beds for men and 26 beds for women.
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Vision
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BRACH is working toward the day when everyone in our region has a decent, safe place to sleep at night.
Mission
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The mission of the Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless (BRACH) is to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring in the VA-504 region by coordinating services, setting policy, and helping individuals achieve housing stability and improved quality of life, acting as the lead agency for the Continuum of Care.
Objectives
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BRACH aims to implement short and long-term collaborative strategies to alleviate homelessness in our community.