July 15th e-Newsletter | New Year, New Defined Values

Working together. Ending homelessness.

NEW! Keys to Change Webinar Series

New Year = New Defined Values

For clients, staff, and YOU, Keys to Change has spent several months reflecting on our values and what it means to really serve the community – with intention, care, and determination to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.

We surveyed stakeholders and held listening sessions with staff. The following themes were overwhelming in the most incredible way. The themes were stated as values that the organization already held, as well as values that the organization has opportunity on which to build.

These are the new, defined values of Keys to Change:

Human Centered: We design programs and systems with people, their humanity, and lived experience at the center.
Collaboration: We bring everyone’s skills and experiences together to produce an outcome that is greater than what can be achieved alone.
Solutions-Focused: We learn, act, and deliver real results.
Data-Driven: We use data to guide decisions and measure impact.
Equity: We pursue fairness by facing realities to ensure everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

To ensure we live up to these values, we've outlined a framework to guide our decisions and practical ways it will impact our mission – and we want to share this with you and invite you to join us in living out these values through Keys to Change!

Please join us Thursday, August 13^th, at 11:00am for a one-hour webinar, discussing the values, decision-making frameworks, and ultimate impact on clients, programs, staff, and community partnerships. Time will include Q&A. The webinar will be recorded and sent to all who register, so please register even if you cannot attend live.

It is a new fiscal year. There's more work ahead, and we're energized to do it.

News from Keys to Change

Starbucks Team Creates a Splash at July Thirst Aid

July Thirst Aid was a great success!

July highlights:

Local high schooler Eric Wang and his friends contributed a half pallet of bottled water
Keys to Change Data Analyst Kristalin held her own drive, collecting over 1,000 bottles of water and many other heat relief supplies
Everyone got a free iced coffee!

Huge shoutout to Michelle and the crew from Starbucks, who brought their barista skills to the event, offering free iced coffee to all drive-up donors.

Add next month's event to your calendar here.

SACE Signal Launches to Add Crucial Voice to Coordinated Entry

Keys to Change manages Single Adult Coordinated Entry (SACE) for Maricopa County - the system that prioritizes individuals experiencing homelessness for the housing programs and solutions for which they qualify.

As the lead organization, Keys to Change maintains data integrity, leads case conferencing, and trains and onboards new locations to take part in SACE. With over 40 locations participating, that's a lot to coordinate!

To enhance communication, Manager Andrea Havins and her team developed the SACE Signal - a digital periodical to help participating locations make the most of SACE - so that our shared clients can find their way home.

Keys Team Participates in AFP Annual Conference

The Keys to Change Development team had a blast at the Association for Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Arizona Annual Conference this month!

Far from sitting on the sidelines and simply attending sessions, the team got involved.

Director Christina Fankhauser and Marketing Manager Kim Beaudoin led a session on nonprofit storytelling, while Liz Roed, Community Engagement Coordinator, is taking part in the AFP Mentorship program, with a capstone project about adapting grant writing in the world of AI.

The conference was also a chance to welcome the newest members of the Development Team - Manager Jolene LeFlore, and Charles Schmiedeke - our former Outreach Program Manager-turned-Donor Relations Specialist.

Community Shoutout

Keys to Change would like to thank Mercy C.A.R.E.S. for their $150,000 Community Reinvestment Grant to our SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) program.

Their funding supports individuals experiencing or at-risk of homelessness by streamlining their access to SSI/SSDI benefits to secure income more quickly. This service, combined with intensive behavioral healthcare, results in accelerated pathways to housing and long-term stability.

No other program in the county pairs SOAR and Behavioral Health Navigation within a single service strategy that begins in shelter and ends with income, treatment, and housing stability.

The investment from Mercy C.A.R.E.S. bridges system gaps and establishes a high-impact intervention for a population that has historically been underserved and structurally excluded from both healthcare and housing systems.

Thank you, Mercy C.A.R.E.S. for supporting Keys to Change and the long-term health and well-being of individuals experiencing homelessness across Arizona.

Pictured: Keys to Change SOAR Navigation Team + friends at a recent Mercy Care Awards event

Donate to Keys to Change

Volunteer

Tour Key Campus

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here to view as webpage.

Keys to Change | Contact Us | Donate Now