Familia

reVision Youth

Houston reVision is located in the Gulfton/Sharpstown neighborhood in Southwest Houston, Texas, where most reVision youth live. This area comprises a 3.2 square mile group of apartment complexes that primarily house Hispanic, immigrant, and refugee populations. It has the highest population density, most ESL students, and the highest rate of gang activity in any neighborhood in the city. Over 90% of the youth we serve are Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC), are religiously diverse, have a primary language other than English, and many have a refugee background from places of violent conflict. Many have experienced multiple traumatic events with minimal access to trauma-informed support and care. Many of our youth report having no friends, increased feelings of isolation, overwhelming anger, and rejection. More youth are reporting feelings of depression. There has been a significant increase in youth being unstably housed. They lack social support and need safe places to hang out and make friends. They lack coping mechanisms to avoid this increased trauma, manifesting as substance use disorders, self-harming behavior, increased gang activity, and other crimes that could push them deeper into the justice system. We are LGBTQIA+ inclusive.

The Work of Houston reVision

The mission of Houston reVision (reVision) is to break the cycle of juvenile justice involvement among youth in Harris County by leveraging the power of the community to connect them with mentors, positive peers, and life-changing resources.

Houston reVision works with youth caught up in the school-to-prison pipeline - teens in trouble at school, in juvenile detention, on probation, and certified youth in adult prison. In addition, many are in the foster care system, experience homelessness, are newly arrived immigrants, or are gang-affected. 

By partnering with churches, collaborating with schools, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations, and training hundreds of caring adult volunteers, we build kinship communities in key neighborhoods that leverage the power of human relationships to alter our mutual trajectory toward a hopeful future. 

Houston reVision has added a comprehensive new program that provides individualized solutions for youth ages 16 – 24 experiencing housing instability. Designed to help youth who are at risk of becoming homeless or who have recently become homeless, reVision provides a variety of services that include case management, housing assistance, employment support, education support, health care, and life skills training.

reVision is where kids can feel safe, supported, and loved. It’s a place where they can build relationships with caring adults and positive peers.

At reVision, we strive to interact with our youth and community in a culturally competent manner. We continuously ensure that our language, actions, and programs approach equity through a fair lens. Our front-line staff reflects the diversity of the young people we serve and have similar lived experiences. All of our staff members are trained in culturally competent and trauma-informed practices. We have 23 full-time staff, 16 of whom are Black or Latinx, and those identifying as White categorize themselves as anti-racists and abolitionists. Our Board of Directors consists of 13 members, eight of whom are Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color (BIPOC).