2023 Report to the Community & 2022 Annual Report
Helping our neighbors access stability and resiliency, together.
Thank you for opening the doors to possibilities for our neighbors and Keystone!
Over the last year, we continued growing our programs to meet community needs, responded with support as we experienced all-time-high records of food shelf visits, and took great strides closer to opening the Keystone Community Food Center.
With your support, we are well-positioned to continue evolving, growing, and responding to move forward! Our Opening Doors to Food Security campaign is nearly fully funded, construction is underway at the new center, and our programs continue to grow and strengthen to support youth, seniors, and neighbors in our community.
With strong leadership, dedicated volunteers, and our caring community of supporters and champions, we will continue to build a community where everyone has the resources and support to thrive.
You are vital to it all! Just as you supported 45,562 neighbors in 2022, your generosity and kindness will continue to help an increasing number of neighbors have more access to the resources, support, and skills they need to live with hope and dignity into the future.
We are grateful for you!
Onward!
Adero Riser Cobb
President/CEO
Steve Thiel
Chair, Board of Directors
Keystone’s Basic Needs Program helps individuals and families with low income be self-sufficient, stable and successful by providing food support and crisis assistance.
Keystone is the largest provider of food shelf services in the Twin Cities East Metro area, serving St. Paul and northern suburbs of Ramsey County. Services are provided through two brick-and-mortar food shelf locations.
Resource Navigators connect participants with needed community resources, including public benefits and one-time financial assistance.
Our Foodmobiles are food shelves on wheels that travel throughout Ramsey County to distribute food at community-based locations - community centers, libraries, health clinics, etc. - more than 30 times each month.
The grocery delivery program delivers food shelf items to the doorsteps of seniors and people with disabilities. Community distribution events provide fresh produce and more in an anonymous, drive-thru service model.
As we bring our urgently needed Community Food Center in St. Paul to life, we will help more Ramsey County neighbors access food, support and connection. With more space, we’ll be equipped to meet growing demand and grapple with the unprecedented levels of community need for food shelf resources. This new building will allow Keystone to double the amount of food available for low-income households in Ramsey County and will offer flexibility to evolve and expand as community needs grow and change.
Keystone Youth Services help youth develop skills to succeed in school and in the community through unique afterschool programs and early employment experiences.
At this afterschool center, teens work on creative, high-tech projects and learn valuable skills from adult mentors. Keystone is proud to have a Best Buy Teen Tech Center and be a member of the Clubhouse Network, a collaboration with the MIT Media Lab.
Serving youth in grades K–10, Community Kids offers year-round daily academic and youth development experiences which promote school achievement and social-emotional learning. Community Kids is a 21st Century Community Learning Center and an accredited afterschool program.
Children in grades K–5 receive year-round tutoring and enrichment opportunities. Teen employees lead this program in their first work experience, under intensive training and supervision by skilled Keystone staff.
Keystone offers unique opportunities for young people to acquire job experience and learn skills that prepare them for the workforce. Express Bike Shop, a social enterprise of Keystone Community Services, is a full-service bike shop and learning lab for teens. Teens also work at Keystone program sites and with community partners.
Long-term studies suggest that the positive impact of entry-level work lingers for years. It is Keystone’s goal to continue to deepen and improve the training curriculum for our Youth Employment Program and focus coaching on improving performance to ensure meaningful early job experiences. We’ll also be expanding outreach and recruitment to provide more invaluable work opportunities to more teens. We will also be expanding supportive services for youth program families to help them better access community resources.
Keystone Senior Services help adults 55+ age with dignity, connection, health and independence as valued members of the community.
310 older adults stayed connected to their community by participating in Keystone activities, including virtual programming promoting recreation, health, education and social activities.
In-Home Services (Meals on Wheels) 203 seniors received a total of 24,975 meals from Meals on Wheels in 2022.
1,054 seniors and adults with disabilities were supported with services for independent living.
We’ve learned that older adults accessing Keystone food assistance are often not connected to other services and supports, even the ones they qualify for, and are concerned about managing their daily living. These unmet needs are particularly true for BIPOC older adults, who are generally underrepresented in senior services. Keystone is exploring the expansion of wraparound services for seniors in a way that would allow us to develop deeper relationships, identify additional needs, and link them to other resources and programs. This will allow us to expand support, notably for seniors that are BIPOC or low-income, helping them to be more engaged and connected.
“I remember a lot of my older family members painting and doing Rosemaling art when I was kid. I’ve always been interested in learning more about this Scandinavian folk art but classes were prohibitively expensive. I’m delighted to have this opportunity now through Keystone!”
2,193 volunteers
gave 25,844 hours
of their time to bring
Keystone’s mission to life.
That’s the equivalent of
12 full-time employees.
140,511 pounds of food shelf items were donated to provide nourishing support to neighbors in need. Thank you to everyone who contributed in-kind donations of food, school supplies, bikes and other items to support Keystone’s programs!
Keystone is in a capital campaign to support the new Keystone Community Food Center which has resulted in higher than usual cash reserves as we raise funds dedicated specifically for the new program location.
* Government contracts and grants
** Investment and miscellaneous, program services fee, food sales, tour sales
