Every First Saturday this Summer

With temps heating up, it’s all hands on deck! Join us in supplying our unhoused clients with relief from the sweltering heat, all summer long. Keys to Change and Campus partners provide 120,000 bottles of water each summer month at Key Campus – and we rely on the community to stock our coolers! On the first Saturday of each month (May-September) we collaborate with a different Campus partner to spread the word and lend a hand. The collection location is near the Harrison Street Gate at 1300 W. Harrison in Phoenix. (Access is off 15th Avenue just north of the railroad tracks). Bring bottled water or volunteer to help from 9am to Noon.

Visit Thirst Aid to learn more about future dates.

Saturday, 5/4

It’s the First Saturday in May

The first bottled water donation drop-off of the season is this Saturday, May 4th from 9am to noon.

This Saturday, Keys to Change staff will be joined by our partners at Brighter Way Dental to help unload your donations and thank you for your contributions!

You drive up, we’ll unload – simple as that!

May the 4th be with you!

Project Connect Events

Project Connect is a one-day event offering wrap-around services to people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Project Connect meets people where they are with all of the most essential solutions provided by more than 20 state, federal, and non-profit organizations. At Project Connect, just like at the Human Services Campus, an individual can receive a new state ID, a new set of clothes, a shower, healthcare, social security benefits, a meal, housing assistance, and so much more.

Project Connect takes places in a different Valley location every 4-6 weeks. Each event typically serves about 150 guests, making volunteers an essential component for a successful event. Volunteers help with set up and breakdown of the event, provider assistance, helping guests navigate the event, and more.

Tuesday, 6/27

Sunnyslope Project Connect Event

Calling all Volunteers! Come help us deliver transformative resources to end homelessness.

Sunnyslope Family Services Center
914 W Hatcher Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85021

Tuesday, 4/23

Tempe Project Connect Results

On April 23 at the University Presbyterian Church in Tempe, 118 guests received 380 service connections from 32 providers.

Successes include:
• CASS transported three individuals to emergency.
• St. Vincent de Paul held a raffle for guests, giving away 10 bikes with locks.
• Phoenix Rescue Mission enrolled four individuals in their outreach and residential program.
• Hundreds of hot meals were served, along with the best church coffee we’ve ever tasted!
• In one emotional moment from the day, a young man agreed to addiction treatment and entered a program the same day.

“This place proves that we shouldn’t quit and that someone cares even if we don’t, or can’t.”
– Unhoused Guest at Tempe Project Connect Event

Thank you to City of Tempe HOPE, Tempe Mayor Corey Woods, University Presbyterian Church, service providers, as well as volunteers from APS, Rocket Mortgage, Mark-Taylor and more. This was a true community collaboration, and a wonderful, connective day.

Thursday, 2/22

Surprise Project Connect Results

Keys to Change hosted the first Project Connect event of 2024 on February 22 at the Northwest Valley Salvation Army in Surprise. And what a day it was!

Twenty-three agencies and service providers set up shop to offer assistance ranging from a shower and a hot meal, to spiritual support, domestic violence survivor resources, referrals to supportive housing, and more. Key Campus partners CASS, St. Vincent de Paul, DES, and Arizona Pet Project set up alongside local service providers such as Chance Shelter, the Salvation Army, and the City of Surprise.

And the day would not be possible without our incredible volunteers who donated 132 volunteer hours over the one-day event, and connected guests to a record 360 unique service connections.

Two-Day Event | AZ State Fairgrounds

Join us for the largest volunteer effort of the year! Maricopa Veterans StandDown is an event that brings together the Valley’s homeless and at-risk military veterans, connecting them with the services & resources to end their homelessness. Hosted by the Arizona Housing Coalition at the AZ State Fairgrounds, this 2-day event features over 60 service providers and requires hundreds of volunteers to ensure a successful event! Spots will go quickly – sign up today!!

Volunteer duties may include setup, guest registration, event support, guest experience support, volunteer check-in and event breakdown. This event is indoor/outdoor. Volunteers must be 18+ to sign up.

Visit Arizona Veterans StandDown Alliance to learn more about the event.

Tuesday 3/12 to Friday 3/15

Get Artsy for a Cause!

How cool is this?? Local artist April Howland created a paint-by-numbers community painting experience – to raise awareness and funds for Keys to Change!

How it works: Drop by the Kimpton Palomar in Downtown Phoenix at 2 E Jefferson St (Cityscape), any time Tues-Fri from 5-6pm – ongoing until March 15th. Enjoy a complementary glass of wine, and if you’re feeling brave – pick up a paint brush and add to the mosaic “paint-by-numbers” desert landscape community art piece.

How we benefit: The finished piece completes a grand prize package that also includes a one-night stay at the Kimpton Palomar, and drinks and appetizers on the rooftop bar. The package will be awarded to the highest bidder – with 100% of auction proceeds benefitting Keys to Change.

Don’t Miss It: Join us for the closing night! Keys to Change team members will be there for the “wrap party” on Friday, March 15th from 5-8pm. One last chance to bid on the prize (or donate any amount!) and make your mark on the community piece.

Results

Thanks to local creatives, Keys to Change had the amazing opportunity to broaden awareness to the issues of homelessness in Maricopa County with the dynamic Palomar Hotel in downtown Phoenix as our hosts.

When April Howland, Artist-in-Residence, was asked about her choice of Keys to Change as the recipient organization, she opened up about a recent hardship that nearly left her unhoused. “This experience taught me that homelessness can happen to anyone in an instant.”

Congrats on the $1,200+ raised through this special community art project. And thank you for hosting a fantastic culminating happy hour event.