Mission
Revolutionize support for the unhoused with comprehensive, sustainable, and compassionate solutions.
Imagine a Southern Nevada where we don’t just manage homelessness, but work to solve it.
We’re transforming the traditional model by offering an all-in-one campus that addresses the root causes of homelessness through personalized care. Instead of costing the community, our approach helps everyone by creating pathways to stability and a more prosperous future for everyone.
Campus for Hope is not an encampment or an overnight shelter and is not a walk-up facility. Campus for Hope will require a referral for enrollment and be a campus designed to help those who are ready and able to do the work to be stably rehoused.
We empower individuals to overcome barriers, achieve housing stability, and unlock their full potential for the good of the entire region.
Vision
A future where every person has access to safe, affordable housing and the resources needed to create a thriving, interconnected community.
Objective
Deliver trauma-informed, individualized services that leverage strategic partnerships to address the root causes of homelessness.
The many causes of homelessness require many individualized solutions all on one campus. We offer:
- Case management
- Medical, dental, and vision care
- Mental health and substance use recovery services
- Employment readiness programs
- Housing placement and assistance
- Veterans services
- Educational and life skills classes
- Basic necessities like clothing, food, hygiene supplies, and transportation assistance
- Legal aid and advocacy
- Childcare and family support services
- Community integration and support
- Outreach services for unsheltered individuals
900
residential beds
$200
in capital investment over 3 years
$30
annual operational expenditure
300
employees
Our Leadership
Kim Jefferies
CEO
Kim Jefferies is the founding CEO for Campus for Hope foundation in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kim is a dedicated nonprofit leader with more than 25 years of experience, most recently serving as CEO of Haven for Hope for 3 and a half years. Under her leadership, Haven achieved notable milestones, including being named Nonprofit of the Year (2023), attaining Trauma-Informed Care certification, opening Couple’s Rooms, a Living Room crisis intervention program, and specialty programming and beds for young adults in addition to securing significant funding, and publishing Haven’s model in the Community Mental Health journal.
Kim Jefferies is the founding CEO for Campus for Hope foundation in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kim is a dedicated nonprofit leader with more than 25 years of experience, most recently serving as CEO of Haven for Hope for 3 and a half years. Under her leadership, Haven achieved notable milestones, including being named Nonprofit of the Year (2023), attaining Trauma-Informed Care certification, opening Couple’s Rooms, a Living Room crisis intervention program, and specialty programming and beds for young adults in addition to securing significant funding, and publishing Haven’s model in the Community Mental Health journal. Haven also earned recognition as a Top Workplace (2023 & 2024) and achieved record client outcomes while operating over capacity. Previously, Kim led Brighton Center as CEO for over 15 years, fostering substantial growth and earning numerous accolades. A respected community leader, Kim has held roles with The Nonprofit Council, United Way, and Autism Lifeline Links, among others. She has received prestigious honors, including San Antonio Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 (2012), Woman of Impact (2020), and Top CEO (2021). In 2024, she was recognized as a Pillar for Citizenship and will be inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame in May of 2025.
Kim holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, an M.S. in Nonprofit Leadership, and an Executive Certificate from Harvard’s Kennedy School. Certified in Balanced Scorecard, she has also contributed to global missions, assessing education for children with disabilities in Malawi. Kim and her husband, Cory, have two accomplished daughters and enjoy outdoor activities, from hiking to gardening, alongside family adventures in nature.
Aja Leija
Chief of Staff
Community-Centered Leader in Non-Profit Operations and Client Advocacy
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Aja Leija is a dedicated non-profit professional with a strong passion for serving her community through operational excellence and client-centered initiatives. With many years in the non-profit sector, Aja has built a career around ensuring that systems work not only efficiently, but equitably—always putting the client experience at the forefront.
Aja’s career began at the San Antonio Food Bank, where she managed a major statewide contract with the Texas Department of Agriculture, delivering essential nutrition to hundreds of thousands of students across South and West Texas. Later, as part of the Compliance and Capability team, Aja worked directly with over 250 partner agencies to ensure adherence to USDA, TDA, and Feeding America guidelines. She played a key role in upholding food safety standards and addressing client grievances—ensuring that respect, fairness, and dignity were central to every food distribution interaction.
At Haven for Hope, San Antonio’s largest comprehensive homelessness service provider, Aja served as Executive Project Manager, where she was instrumental in implementing organization-wide initiatives to elevate the client experience. She spearheaded client feedback systems to ensure services were responsive to the real needs of individuals and families. Her role also involved supporting capital improvement projects and strategic organizational efforts, ensuring Haven’s programs, operations, and facilities aligned with service goals and measurable outcomes.
Penny Serna
MBA
Controller
Penny Serna is a mission-driven financial executive with over 20 years of leadership experience in accounting and strategic financial planning. Prior to joining Campus for Hope, Penny served as Chief Financial Officer for The Caritas Corp., a nonprofit dedicated to low-income housing. She led the integration of over 34 acquired properties into standardized financial systems, managed a multimillion-dollar revenue portfolio, and implemented financial strategies supporting bond financing for over $400 million in assets.
Penny’s approach is both strategic and human-centered—leveraging technology and process improvements while always keeping the mission in sight. She is especially passionate about serving organizations that provide shelter, education, and support for those in crisis.
Penny holds an MBA in Accounting and Business Administration. Today, she combines her extensive financial background and desire to build high-tech systems that are not only efficient—but also innovative. She is passionate about applying her financial expertise to build transparent, efficient, and mission-aligned financial operations that support equity and long-term impact.
Dr. Albert D. Chavez Jr.
, EdD, EdS, CFLE, CTRLC
Chief Program Officer
Dr. Albert D. Chavez Jr. is the Chief Program Officer (CPO) for Campus for Hope in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dr. Chavez has spent the past 25+ years working in the realm of social services. Throughout his career, he has had the honor of serving nearly every population one can serve, from infants to 18-year-olds in emergency shelters for children and group homes for adolescents, to the chronically addicted, those who suffer from mental illness, and those who find themselves without a place to call home or who are at risk of becoming homeless, as well as the aging population and those who suffer from Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
Dr. Chavez has dedicated his career and life to the helping field, building, developing, and facilitating life-changing programs and services. Prior to Campus for Hope, Dr. Chavez served as the Chief of Performance and Impact at Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada. For 10 years, he oversaw all residential services, including campus education and training, emergency shelter, housing navigation, client services, coordination, and case management services. Through his work at CCSN, he was able to build and implement instrumental programs such as the Renewing Hope Program, the Designated Bed Program, and a housing-first, low-barrier, trauma informed, person centered, emergency shelter program.
Dr. Chavez is a United States Army veteran. He has an Associate of Arts degree in Ministerial Studies, a Bachelor's degree in Family Studies, a Master of Education degree in Counseling, a doctoral-level postgraduate degree in Educational Leadership/Education Specialist, a postgraduate degree in Religious Studies with distinction, and a postgraduate degree in Christian Counseling with high distinction. He also holds a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership Administration. Dr. Chavez has a postgraduate certificate in Advanced Clinical Dementia Practice. He is a Certified Trauma and Resilience Life Coach, a Certified Family Life Educator, and has certifications in Trauma Studies, Clinical Trauma, Addiction-Informed Mental Health, Compassion Fatigue, Dementia Care Specialist, and Behavioral Management Training. Dr. Chavez is also an author and has presented educational sessions at conferences both locally and nationally.
Board of Directors
Craig Billings
Wynn Resorts
Katie Carano Miller
Caesars Entertainment
Jyoti Chopra
MGM Resorts International
Ellen Whittemore
Wynn Resorts
Stacey Zeleznik
Aristocrat Gaming
Keith Smith
Boyd Gaming
Paul Anderson
Boyd Gaming
Michael Britt
Red Rock Resorts, Inc.
Patrick Nichols
The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
Latest Updates
Campus for Hope isn’t just aspirational. It’s based on proven results from forward-thinking efforts around the country.
A coalition of community leaders studied several independent organizations working to solve homelessness in cities across the country. The Campus for Hope, while largely based on Haven for Hope in San Antonio, will also incorporate best practices and the lessons learned from these projects. Here are the projects the team reviewed (these are all unaffiliated with the Campus for Hope):
Haven For Hope
Mission Statement
To offer a place of hope and new beginnings by providing, coordinating and delivering an efficient system of care for people experiencing homelessness in San Antonio.
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Year Opened: 2010
Community Partners: 157 (57 on-campus)
Clients Served: 5,771 per year (40,000 total over lifetime)
Residential Beds: 1,094
77
reduction in homelessness in downtown San Antonio
92
of Haven for Hope graduates remain in housing after 1-year.
29
in benefits for every $1 spent on Haven for Hope.
Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida
Mission Statement
To transform the lives of homeless men, women and children by providing crucial services to end their crisis of homelessness.
Location: Orlando, Florida
Year Opened: 1987
Clients Served: 2,126 per year
Residential Beds: 290
600
individuals per day served by residential programs and community initiatives
1,436
program participants placed into permanent housing
9.4
Rate of homelessness per 10,000 in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, lower than both the Florida and US average.
Central Arizona Shelter Service
Mission Statement
To prevent and end homelessness among individuals and families while advancing compassionate community solutions.
Location: Phoenix and Glendale, Arizona
Year Opened: 1984
Clients Served: 6,658 per year (40,000 total over lifetime)
Residential Beds: 60
Apartment Units: 30
231,492
bed nights provided to 5,051 people
6,119
clients created a housing plan
1,262
clients utilized rapid re-housing, eviction prevention and financial support services
Star of Hope Mission
Mission Statement
A Christ-centered community dedicated to meeting the needs of homeless men, women and their children. Positive life changes are encouraged through structured programs which focus on spiritual growth, education, employment, life management and recovery from substance abuse.
Location: Houston, Texas
Year Opened: 1907
Clients Served: 1,000 per day
Housing Units: 187 on-site permanent supportive units
Onsite Services: Healthcare clinic, food market, family services
332,226
nights of safe shelter provided
424,113
meals served
127,279
necessities provided
Human Services Campus
Mission Statement
Using the power of collaboration to create solutions to end homelessness.
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Year Opened: 2005
Community Partners: 15 on-campus (plus other non-profits in the county)
Clients Served: 12,180 per year
Residential Beds: 1,094
4,161
individuals connected to permanent housing
962
individuals prevented from becoming homeless
5,229
people gained and maintained quality employment ($15.94 average pay per hour)
Nevada Cares Campus Washoe County
Mission Statement
To help people find a path out of homelessness and achieve recovery, health, and financial stability.
Location: Reno, Nevada
Year Opened: 2021
Clients Served: 10,614
Residential Beds: 600+
348
participants placed in permanent housing
11
point decrease in recidivism rates within six months of being housed
Investment Partners
A community-wide problem requires a community-wide solution. Campus for Hope’s efforts are made possible by the generous support of many organizations and individuals.
Government Partners
Frequently Asked Questions
How will Campus for Hope be funded?
Campus for Hope will be funded through a combination of public and private investments. NRS 231.3711 provides matching funds of up to $100 million for the development of the project and up to $15 million annually for its operations based on regional support and participation.
Who will benefit from the services provided by Campus for Hope?
Campus for Hope will primarily serve the homeless population in Southern Nevada, including individuals, families, youth, veterans, and those with mental health or substance abuse challenges.
Where will Campus for Hope be located?
On 20+ acres of the Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services campus.
How long can clients stay at Campus for Hope?
At Campus for Hope, our goal is to provide housing for our clients while they work on an action plan with our support to obtain permanent housing. Their active commitment and participation with the goal directly influences how long they will remain here.
Questions? Please contact us at info@nevadahope.org
Donate Today
Join us in reinventing the traditional approach to addressing homelessness, where we will work to create pathways for people to regain their independence and find their purpose.
