Individuals and families turning to Keystone often come in crisis and stay to build stability. Food and housing insecurity, medical crises, loss of a job or transportation and social isolation all weaken the stability of a household.
Keystone offers basic needs support, crisis assistance, ongoing case management, coaching and education. These services relieve immediate stress for low-income neighbors while also helping them build a more stable foundation for their future.
Keystone connects people in crisis situations to resources for housing, utilities and other basic needs. Please contact our Community Support Services line at 651-917-3883. Your call will be returned within two business days to assess eligibility for one-time emergency help. Information and referrals for other community resources are also provided.
Keystone Community Services is able to provide assistance during business hours only. If you are in need of help during evening and weekend hours, please call 2-1-1/First Call for Help.
2-1-1/First Call for Help is an extensive information and referral line. It is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Cell phone users can call 651-291-0211 and toll free callers can dial 1-800-543-7709. Multilingual access is available for over 100 languages, including Spanish, Hmong, Somali and Russian.
Helping families through situations means connecting families to lots of different resources. Donors of all kinds – foundations, faith communities and individuals – help make it possible for Keystone to help families through crisis. Contact us for more information or to support individuals in need.
The Keystone Family Success Fund is dedicated to helping meet crisis needs in our community when other community resources are not available. Keystone assists clients in emergency situations, linking them to community resources. When families do not qualify for these programs, the Family Success Fund enables Keystone to step in and help.
Funds are used to help with utilities, housing costs, medical costs, moving expenses and transportation. Contributions to the Family Success Fund go directly to helping a struggling family get through difficult times.
Keystone Congregations is a partnership of area faith communities who have joined with Keystone to better serve people who turn to them in emergency situations. Through this partnership, congregations can make referrals to Keystone when someone is in need of social services, knowing clients will receive professional assistance.
In turn, Keystone is supported in serving these clients through funds given by participating congregations to Keystone’s Family Success Fund and Keystone’s food shelf programs.
When the electricity in Lucia’s home was cut off and she faced eviction, she was frantic.
Lucia, a certified nursing assistant, had gotten behind on her bills due to a lengthy illness. Then she heard that Keystone might be able to help.
After recovering from her illness, Lucia went back to work and was struggling to catch up on her bills when the power was cut off. The Keystone Family Outreach staff member networked with area agencies to help Lucia pay down the electrical bill and stabilize her financial situation. Lucia was also able to use a Keystone food shelf to help stretch her monthly budget.
Of her experience with Keystone, Lucia said, “I found I was not alone and that there were people here who cared about me; it was such a relief.”
