June 10th e-Newsletter | Hotter Days? Longer Hours

Working together. Ending homelessness.

Hotter Days = Longer Hours at Key Campus

Campus Hours Extended to Provide Safety and Heat Relief

This summer, our doors are open longer! Effective June 1, Key Campus is now open daily from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm.

Why the change? To provide individuals experiencing homelessness with more access to safe, cool spaces this summer. By opening before the sun rises, and closing after the sun sets, we expect to see a decrease in heat-related illness and injury, while providing more opportunity for engagement with the compassionate and knowledgeable staff at Key Campus.

What's changing? The shaded Campus Plaza and day room bathroom facilities are now open to our unhoused clients 16 hours a day (up from 13), helping to ease enforcement concerns in the neighborhood while providing increased access to shade and heat relief throughout the summer months. Keys to Change has ramped up staffing levels to facilitate these extended hours of operation.

What's staying the same? The Brian Garcia Welcome Center at Key Campus continues to provide 24/7/365 walk-up access to individuals experiencing homelessness. Key Campus also continues to house several designated cooling and respite sites in partnership with the Maricopa County Heat Relief Network, while Keys to Change and partners elicit additional heat relief support from the broader community through the Thirst Aid Water Drive.

Huge shoutout and appreciation for the staff who are taking on new shifts and going above and beyond everyday to keep our neighbors safe!

News from Keys to Change

June Thirst Aid

June's Thirst Aid was a great success!

A heartfelt thank you to Mayo Clinic and all of our other generous donors for contributing numerous cases of water to help support our community. Your kindness and commitment make a meaningful difference.

Our Key Campus partners at Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) stepped up to help unload donations as the June Thirst Aid partner.

Add next month's event to your calendar here.

Kendra Scott Give Back

Thank you to all who came out to support Keys to Change at the Kendra Scott Give Back event last month.

Our team had a great time chatting with shoppers at Arrowhead Mall about the impact of Keys to Change, while 20% of their purchases went directly to the mission to end homelessness.

Here's a "thank you" photo from Keys to Change Development team members Christina and Liz. If you zoom in on their hands you can see their beautiful new Kendra Scott jewelry!

Community Shoutout

Keys to Change cannot adequately express our thanks to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for their $578,000 grant to help house individuals experiencing homelessness.

What started as a trip to the thrift store for a cane, developed into a partnership intent on systems change and truly moving the needle on homelessness. They gave support to shelter and outreach services, and made a significant investment to Diversion, allowing more than 250 individuals to be reunited with friends and family, ending their homeless immediately.

It was an honor to have LaWana Fulton-Mills, Welfare and Self-reliance Manager, join Amy and Richard on the season finale of It Happens at STN to share about the partnership. Watch here now.

It Happens at STN Season 4 Finale

That's a wrap!

Each month, we gather with other members of the nonprofit and business community in the STN studios to film a "like-live" episode of It Happens at STN - a digital show highlighting the positive, solutions-oriented side of local news in Phoenix.

Each filming event is a chance for the Keys to Change team to network, meet new donors, and strengthen partnerships through a shared sense of community.

Each episode is a chance for us to highlight the programs and successes of Keys to Change and community partners working to end homelessness on the McQuaid Mission segment.

Thank you to all who helped make it another great season. Stay tuned for Season 5.