Client Story
Client Story
Joe | A Natural Leader
Joe’s Stamp on Campus
Joe still has a mental map of the neighborhood surrounding Key Campus from before the Campus was founded in 2005. More than just that, he remembers how the neighborhood felt – the feeling of desperation that always seemed to loom heavy in the air. The feeling that every decision is a choice between bad and worse. That maybe the only fix is a quick fix.
Joe was out of prison and living on the streets at the time.
“You had to be alert, this was a dark street you know? You learned to know the areas to avoid.”
Back then, local services providers were working hard to try to meet the needs of homeless Phoenicians like Joe, yet key elements of coordination were missing. Strained infrastructure, as well as gaps in logistics, data sharing, accessibility, and transportation were barriers to a successful interconnected system.
Imagine: a long walk in the sweltering Phoenix heat – with no water – to a shelter that may or may not have space (same as yesterday and tomorrow). Or a ride on the crowded “circuit” bus, only to miss the last appointment for the day, or – you make it to the appointment only to realize you don’t have the required ID, nor the cash to buy a replacement ID. And all along the route, invitations for trouble and manmade dangers abound.

“And then Campus came. And then there was space for us,” says Joe.
The Campus was a single 13-acre property where service providers could coexist and coordinate – a powerful model now replicated in cities across the country. Key Campus partners offer on-site shelter, food, case management, mental and physical healthcare, legal assistance, employment services, and more to adults experiencing homelessness in and around Phoenix.
From Client to Volunteer
Joe began volunteering on Campus through a peer group, which was operating out of what is now the Keys to Change Admin building. It was both a small step on the road to stability, and a decision that would change his life forever. He offered to do odd jobs around Campus, where he became a familiar face, beloved by staff and clients alike.
He kept busy as an aspect of his own recovery. “I knew I had to occupy my time. I could be hooked on three different things at the same time, that’s just the kind of person I was. If I didn’t fall asleep dead-tired, I’d be out getting into bad situations.” Instead, he’d end each workday with a wiped-out sense of accomplishment, ready for bed.
Before long, Joe assumed a natural leadership role among his peers, coordinating shifts and coming in early to make coffee for the crew. “I liked to take care of my guys.”
From Volunteer to Staff
Though it hasn’t been a straight path, Joe is now a full-time employee with Keys to Change on the Supportive Services Team (featured here). He spends his nights at home, or going for a run around the neighborhood. He spends his days co-managing the Key Campus post office – doing a job he loves, in a place he loves.
“People come up to me and ask ‘so are you going to retire here?’ or ‘ever think about another role?’” says Joe. “But I kind of like the certainty of it, when I’m doing the job: it’s simple and routine. My old manager Dawn had the vision but she couldn’t split herself in two or three to go do. I’d figure out the specifics. I might not know how I’m going to do it, but I will find out.”
In the last few years, Joe has brought incredible efficiency and thoroughness to the post office’s operations. He had a hand in building the filing system that’s used to this day. He’s energetic and doesn’t like to stay still, which is perfect for the mail room.
Joe can also relate to the everyday lived experiences of Keys to Change clients, while his cool head and “roll with it” mentality earn him respect and friendship. “At the window they trust me,” says Joe.
His job comes with its challenges, as all jobs do. “I have to make sure I set boundaries and do my best to be fair with everyone. You want to give everyone special treatment. Sometimes it’s case by case but you can’t play favorites.”
“But yeah,” Joe continues, “we definitely work with them. Like a lady last week who needed her prescription glasses held for a little longer than the standard 30 days. I knew she was having a hard time with her ex-husband and custody of her kids, and that she was in a CBI program off Campus, so we held them and went above and beyond to make sure she got them. You know, you really get to know your people.”
Last year, the post office served as a physical address for over 6,000 unhoused individuals. Every year, this simple postal address opens countless doors to employment, housing, benefits, and the many basic needs that require a physical address on applications. Joe, together with his counterpart Margarita, and a handful of very dedicated volunteers, received, processed, and distributed a mind-bending 84,000 individual parcels and envelops last year alone.
Joe’s a careful observer of both people and trends. Skeptical and thoughtful. He’s seen the many ebbs and flows of the passing seasons at Key Campus – new buildings, new team members, new programs, and shifting community needs over the span of 20 years. From his own rock bottom, he’s now inspiring others to claw their way out of whatever hole they may find themselves in.
Joe Medina represents the very best of Key Campus. Resilience, compassion, faith in humanity, and hard work. His story is just one example of the magic of Key Campus – a very human type of magic: transformative yet tangible, grounded yet filled with possibility. While the map of Key Campus continues to evolve, people like Joe make sure it always feels like hope at the corner of 12th Avenue and Madison.