Our Mission
Our mission is to help unhoused people move towards self-sufficiency and find a safe home in our community.
Who We Are
We are a diverse team of volunteers, passionate about helping our unhoused community members – our neighbors – and our community. We bring different skills to help on-site or remotely.
Leadership Team
Board Member
Dave Atkins
Prior to working with The United Effort, Dave began volunteering at Hope's Corner in Mountain View in 2015, and he has since enjoyed working with interesting people from all walks of life.
He is a lifelong resident of the South Bay, a proud graduate of several local schools (Castro Elementary, Graham Junior High, Los Altos High, UC Santa Cruz and Santa Clara University School of Law) and an attorney with the Social Security Administration. He is also an intense soccer fan (YNWA!) and an avid open water swimmer.
Chief Financial Officer
Jarad Backlund
Jarad has worked for 20 years in corporate finance holding leadership roles at large tech companies, most recently acting as a startup CFO. Jarad and his family (wife Stephanie and two young boys) have lived and served in the Mountain View community since 2016. One of Jarad's biggest passions is helping others worry less about money or get into a more permanent living situation, and he cares deeply about helping others achieve their financial goals.
Board Member & President
Wei Qun E
Wei is passionate about improving the quality of life for people in need. She believes everyone should have stable housing, nutritious food, access to behavioral health services.
She is an attorney, a LifeLine phone agent, and a volunteer.
Board Member & Chief Operating Officer
Claire Hubel
Claire first remembers being concerned about a homeless person at the age of 8, and this concern has persisted ever since. Before volunteering for The United Effort Organization, she volunteered for many other organizations over the years, including Hope's Corner in Mountain View.
Through her volunteer work, she has met a wonderful and diverse population of unhoused people who have enriched her life with their spirit, determination, friendship, and humor.
Board Member
Tracy Jiang
Tracy Jiang is a product manager at Google with over twenty years of industry experience serving both product management and engineering roles.
Outside of work, she served as marketing lead for a non-profit microfinancing organization for five years and helped support many small businesses run by people in poverty. She is passionate in applying her skills to volunteer work and helping people lead a better life.
Board Chairman
Mike Patrick
Mike Patrick is a retired Silicon Valley corporate attorney. He worked at the firm of Fenwick & West for thirty years, representing high tech companies.
Mike is currently Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of Environmental Volunteers, also a Palo Alto based non-profit. Mike was previously Co-President of Palo Alto based non-profit La Comida.
Chief Technology Officer
Trevor Shannon
Trevor left the local tech workforce to be a full-time parent. He cares greatly about housing equity and volunteers his time to improve his community through technology.
Board Member
Julie Wang
Julie applies her experience in software and database system design to develop tools for improving work efficiency. She volunteers to help people in need.