Our Partner

The New American Welcome Center at the University Y helps immigrants fully integrate into American society and prepares receiving communities around Champaign County to be welcoming and inclusive. By engaging local institutions and mobilizing community resources, we help make our community a place where newcomers and immigrants can thrive and flourish.

Learn More ↗

Problem

Champaign County is home to over 24,000 immigrants from nearly 80 countries around the world. The University YMCA New American Welcome Center (NAWC) is a focal point for many Champaign newcomers as they transition to their new homes. Starting a new life in a new place is a daunting task, especially so for immigrants. There are a wide variety of challenges to face: language barriers, cultural differences, and work-life balance. In Champaign, there are over 100 resources available, ranging from healthcare to financial assistance. However, there is a large accessibility issue between those resources and the immigrants who can benefit from them.

Our Solution

To address this problem, we created the Oasis, a centralized virtual resource hub that equalizes and promotes information access to vital community resources. This tool allows immigrants to independently access resources according to their personal needs, and enables NAWC to better serve the community by offering more informed recommendations. With new features to increase accessibility in Spring 2021, the NAWC is currently piloting the product through 2021 through La Linea, YMCA legal clinics, and their public office hours.

Tech Stack

React, Express, MongoDB

Key Features

  • Find Relevant Resources: Filter resources in your area by category, cost, languages spoken, location, and distance closest to you.

  • View Resource Details: See important details about each resource provided, including recommended contacts, addresses, required documents, and schedule.

  • Multi-Language Support: Language support for Spanish, Chinese, and French (the three most common languages in Champaign) allow users to view in their preferred language.

  • Admin Management: A centralized admin portal allows admins to upload, save, and share resources, as well as customize the homepage, testimonials, partners, and more.

We believe in a future where immigrants can be empowered to find resources on their own, and those providing can connect with those in need. To see our vision imagined, check out https://nawc.vercel.app/.

Meet The Team

Annie Wu Annie Wu Product Manager
Neeraj Aggarwal Neeraj Aggarwal Product Manager
Lam Tran Lam Tran Product Manager
Jacqueline Osborn Jacqueline Osborn Tech Lead
Chloe Chan Chloe Chan Product Designer
Albert Cao Albert Cao Software Developer
Anooj Lal Anooj Lal Software Developer
Ashwin Saxena Ashwin Saxena Software Developer
Ayan Mallik Headshot Ayan Mallik Software Developer
Danielle Yang Danielle Yang Software Developer
Kendall Hester Kendall Hester Software Developer
Luciana Toledo-López Luciana Toledo-López Software Developer
Michael Chen Michael Chen Software Developer
Neha Konjeti Neha Konjeti Software Developer
Skyler Shi Skyler Shi Software Developer