I’m left with the desire to plead that people take care of each other, stop being mean to one another. Teach empathy and compassion.
Reflections from the Front Lines Blog
by Amy Schwabenlender, CEO, Keys to Change
In this blog, Amy shares her personal thoughts on serving people experiencing homelessness and living up to the legacy of her good friend and mentor, Mike McQuaid.
My “Whys” Connect
Everyone deserves affordable healthcare and affordable housing. None of us should be forced to make that choice. Housing is healthcare.
How did we get here?
Local point-in-time data released today for Maricopa County shows just over 5,000 unsheltered people (up 35% since 2020).
We don’t need rescuers and saviors.
We don’t need rescuers and saviors to address homelessness and the housing crisis, we need courageous leaders.
Tuesday 2-22-22
In searching for some meaning of it being Tuesday 2-22-22, here is a list of 22 things I am thinking about.
I don’t know where you can go.
I’m silently grateful she didn’t ask me if there was a space for her. I would have to say, “no, and I don’t know where you can go.”
A No-Win Situation
The resilience and resourcefulness of unsheltered people amazes me. But, we are in a no-win situation because being unhoused is not a crime.
A Grand Canyon-sized Gap
We must examine the root causes that lead people to lose their homes. Then we must help people keep their homes.
Housing is Healthcare
It’s not physically or mentally healthy for a community to have hundreds and thousands of people unsheltered and unhoused.
On the Road
As Project Connect was one of the programs I was able to lead at Valley of the Sun United Way, I am thrilled that we are now partnering to reinvigorate these events.
Faith
Much like you you can’t take apart a radio to find the music. You can’t take apart your mind to find faith. It’s just there.
Vision of a Champion
The Mike McQuaid Legacy Fund allows us to advance the HSC mission and the vision of Mike McQuaid, to end homelessness for everyone.
About Keys to Change and Key Campus
Keys to Change uses the power of collaboration to create solutions to end homelessness across Maricopa County. As the owner/operator of Key Campus in downtown Phoenix, Keys to Change facilitates coordination among 13 independent nonprofit and governmental agencies offering a holistic range of services to individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Serving over 1,000 people every day, Key Campus services include reunification with family and friends; mental, physical and dental healthcare; shelter; mail services; employment; meals; legal services; housing match; animal care, case management and more. Keys to Change is a compassionate connector, strategic partner, and relentless advocate, leveraging corporate, individual, and public funding to address systemic barriers while providing for the immediate and emerging needs of the local unhoused community. Learn more at www.keystochangeaz.org.