PHOENIX (STN) – When Keys to Change and Key Campus originally launched as the Human Services Campus in 2005, the goal was to create a space where individuals and families experiencing homelessness could access the services needed to get back on their feet and secure stable housing.
Seventeen years after the campus opened, the new Respiro shelter was unveiled. The 6,300-square-foot, tent-like structure accommodates 100 beds and offers a range of case management and supportive services.
“One day of hope is better than none.”
- David Shepard / Engagement Specialist, Key Campus
“I remember my first night here,” said Samuel, a client of Key Campus and a resident of the Respiro shelter. “The gentleman at the front was incredibly nice, and they gave me my campus ID. I slept very well that night. I slept very well. I didn’t have to worry about anything.”
This fall, the team from STN had the opportunity to tour the shelter, meet clients and administrators, and gain a deeper understanding of how combining multiple services under one roof improves outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.
See how Key Campus’s Respiro Shelter is Changing Lives:
“We set up a housing stability plan with them and give them case management services,” said Supportive Services Manager Corrie Billingsley. “Most shelters are usually 90 days. We don’t really stick to that time limit because the whole point is to work with the client where they’re at.”
David Shepard, an engagement specialist at the Respiro shelter, explained that in addition to beds and showers, clients can get assistance obtaining identification and other paperwork necessary for securing employment. Specialized services are also available for clients over the age of 55.
And, he said, the shelter offers something people need most during such challenging times.
“One thing that I see that our clients need most is hope,” he said. “I tell everybody that I talk to one day of hope is better than none.”
Samuel, who came to Respiro after about a month of living on the streets and has since found work with St. Vincent de Paul, agreed.
“[I] have a set bed, and I can come back and relax after work,” he said. “Now I can take a nap. That’s unheard of. This is a place where you can revitalize yourself. You can rebuild yourself here. This place is changing my life right now.”
