Phoenix, AZ (STN) – The first episode of ‘It Happens at STN’ in 2024 brought some important news for STN’s partners in the homelessness and affordable housing space.
Amy Schwabenlender, CEO of Human Services Campus, Inc., announced during the McQuaid Mission the new official name for their organization is Keys to Change, and the campus at 12th Avenue and Madison is now called the Key Campus.
Keys to Change is working to serve communities around Phoenix and the state. Schwabenlender mentioned that a significant part of the name change was driven by the belief that solutions are needed across the spectrum to reduce homelessness, and one of those ‘keys to change’ is the Key Campus.
“The message will change to how there are multiple keys, there are multiple solutions and strategies towards ending homelessness,” says Schwabenlender. “We want to move and make progress on all of them and hit that idea of the goal of functional zero.’’
The second significant piece of news coming out of episode five was the announcement that Arizona will release $40 million in grants and programs to help fight homelessness around the state and provide funding to start making a dent in our state’s affordable housing crises.
In the same February episode, Jason Paprocki, Chief Strategy Officer at Arizona Financial Credit Union, joined the Community Collaborative along with Quin Works, Director of Development at Local First Arizona, to discuss their collaborative effort to help more Black entrepreneurs access the funding and resources they need to grow their businesses.
Building on their conversation, Community Collaborative producer and Black Chamber of Arizona President Robin Reed elaborated on the importance of celebrating the accomplishments of Black professionals throughout the year, not just every February for a month.
“You can’t take certain communities out once a year, display them, and then when the month is over, take them down,” says Reed. “We’re getting better at that, and I’m encouraged by the outreach we’re receiving from organizations throughout the year.”
Episode five concludes with two new leader profiles from USAA’s Regional Site Director Patrick Fitzhugh and Arizona Housing Coalition’s Executive Director, Nicole Newhouse.”
Here are the top moments from episode five.
03:11-10:40
Community Collaborative welcomed Monica Villalobos, president and CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, to the stage. The chamber presidents began the segment with a crucial discussion about Black History Month and an important reminder that we should celebrate Black, Hispanic, and other minorities all year, not just during their “designated” month on the calendar.
Joining the Community Collaborative for their action panel discussion was Arizona Financial Credit Union’s Chief Strategy Officer Jason Paprocki, along with Local First Arizona’s Director of Development Quin Works. Together they discussed the partnership the two organizations have created to help Black entrepreneurs access the capital and resources they need to start and grow their businesses through a program called We Rise.
14:05-21:28
Episode five of the Community Collaborative concluded with a special moment on stage for Lloyd Hopkins, Executive Director and Founder of Million Dollar Teacher Project. Hopkins, who grew up in Maryvale, was honored by the neighborhood, which recently put up a banner with his picture to acknowledge the impactful work he has done in the community through his organization Million Dollar Teacher Project.
22:38-26:05
Patrick Fitzhugh’s father was an Air Force Academy graduate, and he grew up hearing stories about the Academy and the honor of serving our country. Fast forward to September 11th, 2001: after terrorists attacked the United States, Fitzhugh expedited his plans and, like his father, joined the Air Force.
He served our country from 2003 to 2007. When he left the military, he was determined to continue serving his fellow veterans. This commitment marked the beginning of his career with USAA.
26:16-39:25
In The Room producing partner Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine, Co-CEO, Christina Spicer joins episode five alongside college student and Girl Scout Alum, Gina Ferroni. Together the group discusses the best ways adults can motivate, build confidence and guide the future leaders of tomorrow.
Also in the segment STN cameras go inside the Girl Scouts Cookie Fast Pitch Program that teams girls up with CEOs around the Valley to help guide their cookie sales and foster their entrepreneurial dreams.
41:30-44:54
The primary motivation behind Nicole Newhouse’s work with the Arizona Housing Coalition is to address the challenges faced by people of all ages, striving to make the American dream of homeownership accessible to everyone.
44:50-1:01:25
Human Services Campus (HSC) CEO Amy Schwabenlender delves into the reasons behind their rebrand. Schwabenlender, along with Richard Crews, program director at Keys to Change, and Letticia Brown-Gambino, executive director at the Key Campus, discussed how the rebranding of the Human Services Campus will help make a broader impact in the fight against homelessness.
Also, joining the panel is the CEO at UMOM Jackson Fonder. He shares exciting news regarding a significant influx of money from the state that will be used to address Arizona’s growing homelessness problem. Fonder elaborates on how the HSC rebranding will help UMOM better serve the increasing numbers of families coming to their Phoenix campus.
