UHCA President's Corner: New Volunteer Roles and a Stronger Year Ahead
Hello neighbors and friends—
This month, I’ve caught myself pausing more than once—walking past a freshly swept sidewalk, admiring the petal pop-up at our UH Trolley sign, seeing neighbors chat at Good Omen, watching folks enjoy the newly painted utility boxes, or seeing volunteers in UHCA shirts clean things up along 163—and thinking: we did that together! Not long ago, our association was at a crossroads, facing real financial strain and an uncertain path forward. Today, I’m proud to say UHCA is stronger, healthier, and more active than ever. We aren’t just getting by; we’re building momentum and making things better here.
You can see it in the numbers—and you can feel it in the neighborhood. We’ve hit record membership, tripled our digital reach, and turned UH News into a 16-page monthly touchpoint that keeps us connected block by block. In just the past year, volunteers have hauled nearly three tons of trash from the canyon along Washington Street, and we’ve stayed at the table—pushing hard for workforce housing at the Brucker site while making sure the community’s voice was front and center to ensure we see some real benefits come to UH from this massive project. That’s more good for University Heights than at any point in our association’s history. And here’s the honest part: when something grows, it needs more hands to help it keep growing. As any gardener in our UH Garden Club will tell you, a healthy plant eventually outgrows its pot. UHCA is growing—and to keep that growth healthy, we need a few more neighbors to step in and help tend it.
Right now, we have a few simple, high-impact ways to plug in. We’re looking for a Distribution Coordinator to help guide our incredible network of blockwalkers—and we also need a few blockwalkers (or reserve walkers) so every doorstep still gets the paper when our regulars are traveling or taking a well-earned break. We’re also looking for two people (one renter) who can help represent UH on the Uptown Community Planning Group, a membership coordinator with some database experience, and a volunteer coordinator to help onboard and keep communications flowing with our growing list of volunteers.
Stepping into a leadership role at UHCA is more than “volunteering.” It’s how we protect what we love about University Heights—and improve what still needs work. It’s how we show up at City Hall with a united voice, keep our streets and canyons looking their best, and create the small moments of connection that turn a collection of homes into a neighborhood.
If you’ve been looking for a way to pitch in (or you’re ready to take a bigger swing), please reach out to us at volunteer@uhsd.org or visit www. uhsd.org/volunteer and we’ll help match you with something that fits your schedule. Let’s keep building on this momentum—and take UHCA to even greater heights.
See you out there, together!
