Reflections from the front lines serving people experiencing homelessness, appreciating community, and feeling a chill in the air as the number of daylight hours decreases and temperatures drop.
In the last month, the Keys to Change team created several remarkable moments.
The 20th anniversary of Key Campus event on November 7 was very well attended with a retrospective video a smashing hit, and the historical timeline of artifacts a masterpiece. A reunion of sorts took place with community leaders and people who poured their heart and soul into the creation of the Campus decades ago. Community showed up.
Later in November, we were honored to host the Arizona Governor’s Cabinet in our new Mike McQuaid Conference Room. The Cabinet held one of their regular meetings and then volunteered assembling gift bags for the upcoming client holiday party. Governor Hobbs herself was on the meeting agenda and led the assembly line. Community was created.
December 5th the 21st Mike McQuaid I am Home Breakfast was held at the Arizona Biltmore. The breakfast is our annual fundraiser, and this year’s event was impactful and successful. We are still tallying donations and accepting donations towards a matching gift. More than 500 people joined us and heard stories from people who had the experience of homelessness and are now living in safe, accessible homes. Signature sponsor Avondale Toyota surprised everyone with an offer to match donations to sustain the ‘post office’ on Key Campus. The emotions of this event always catch up with me leading to some choked up moments on stage. Community was present and loved.
And one of our teammates created their own remarkable moment by becoming a Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Fellow on Monday! I was able to attend the Piper Fellow announcement luncheon with Mr. Richard Crews, Director of Strategic Impact for Keys to Change. Richard is a 2025 Fellow! Being a 2016 Fellow myself and working directly with Richard over the last five years, it is a highlight that will stand out from this year. Richard has put in the work and invested in himself to truly earn this Fellowship. Community was expanded.
Through all of these events and moments the support of community was ever present and tangible. My focus and intention to be in each moment helps to feel the energy from others. Rather than thinking of the next meeting or event, I relished each of these opportunities to connect with people, to listen, and hopefully to lead them to feel acknowledged and appreciated. Community building.
We need community, we rely on community. The numbers are telling. The unsheltered count this week near the Campus is 189 and in the surrounding area 317 for a total of 506. Changes in the weather are causing people to create structures for increased warmth. There is not sufficient indoor shelter capacity in our region to bring everyone inside at night.
Key Campus is necessary for the health of our community. And it is only one component to reducing homelessness. Helping people stay housed, preventing folks from losing their housing and falling into homelessness, has to happen more often and with coordination and prioritization for assistance. And housing needs to be available, accessible, supportive when necessary, and affordable. I would love for the Key Campus to not be needed in 20 years. If we look back in 2045 and ask ourselves, “what did we learn from the first 20 years of the Campus? Did we apply any experience to improve services, and to reduce homelessness,” how will we answer?
Right now, the challenges seem so immense that it would be easy to be pessimistic. And community does show up and does support. I see that and feel that. And I ask you to continue showing up, continue supporting, and please see if you can stretch to do more. Can you ask others to engage and be involved? The bench of support must be deeper in order to cover the continuum of interventions needed from prevention to housing. Community must strengthen.
Rates of homelessness will not decline on their own. Delivering more of what is effective, at scale, and with the necessary resources, will lead to a reduction of homelessness. Those of us delivering the services need to know that ‘community’ has our backs. Engage. Give. Invite us to the spaces where influencers and decision makers will listen and where they will act.
While the numbers are daunting, they are not insurmountable. Through community, let’s work together and end homelessness.
