Growing Together to Meet Community Needs
2021 brought new challenges to Keystone and our community as the pandemic continued. Isolation, rising costs, supply chain challenges, new COVID-19 variants, and persistent unease affected each and every one of us. With new challenges also came new resiliency, generosity, innovation, and kindness in our community. We learned again that it really does take all of us to care for our community during challenging times, and as usual, you responded in so many inspirational ways.
Throughout 2021, Keystone kept our commitment to offering services for all of our neighbors who needed extra support. At our sites, we worked hard to provide a sense of security and normalcy for our participants. We kicked off the year with the launch of our brand-new food shelf grocery delivery program, which brings free groceries to low-income seniors and adults with disabilities each month. Older adults have been affected the most by the pandemic, and we wanted to do all we could to keep them as safe as possible. We were proud to offer one of the first COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Ramsey County specifically tailored for low-income seniors and caregivers. This clinic was an immense comfort and relief to so many of our neighbors who lacked the resources or confidence to find a vaccine on their own. As vaccines became more widely available, Keystone transitioned to bringing back in-person programs safely, such as returning to in-person shopping at our Midway Food Shelf, delivering Meals on Wheels again daily instead of weekly, reopening our in-person senior programs, and welcoming you to our annual Keys to Success gala, held at Allianz Field. Being able to see our neighbors back in our buildings has kept our staff smiling
through all the challenges we faced. Keystone’s community is growing every day, and we have you to thank for so many things that make our work possible – financial support, in-kind donations, volunteer help, and moral support. 2021 couldn’t have happened without you!
All of us at Keystone work hard to live up to our namesake – Keystone. A keystone is a central wedge-shaped stone of an arch that locks the parts together and supports the whole. While we
strive to always be that keystone for our community, we want you to know that YOU are OUR keystone. Your generosity keeps us inspired to do more, and you make our work in the community
possible. As we grow into this next year, I am humbled to walk alongside you as we support our neighbors together.
Sincerely,
Mary McKeown, President/CEO and Diane Gerth, Board of Directors Chair