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Connecting Our Community

Spotlights

Take a close-up view of Keystone people – our clients, volunteers, donors and other partners – and how Keystone services improve life in our community.

  • All in the (Keystone) family


    Millie comes from a big farm family – 12 siblings in all – so she feels right at home among her many friends in Keystone’s Active Seniors program, which offers exercise, recreation, educational opportunities and fun events for older adults. Read more »

  • Surrounded by love

    Four years ago, Malee and her mother, a single parent, came to the U.S. as refugees from Thailand, settling in McDonough Homes in St. Paul with Malee's grandparents. In late April, just two days before her 10th birthday, Malee's mother, still in her 20s, died suddenly and unexpectedly of heart failure. Read more »

  • Toward a brighter future

    The road to sobriety and stability has been a long one for Kelly, but she has traveled far, with the help and support of her Keystone case manager Kelly Watson. Not long ago, the mother of two children was involved in drugs and in a relationship with a history of domestic violence. The family bounced between relatives and finally ended up homeless. But today, the picture is quite different. Kelly went into treatment last year and is now in recovery. The family spent time in a shelter but moved in March to a small but comfortable apartment. Read more »

  • A special friendship

    After Steve Larson drops off a hot lunch for Henry, who turned 100 in February,  the Meals on Wheels volunteer usually stays for a chat. The two friends enjoy talking about jazz, politics and other topics. "I got to know Henry because he was usually on my route. We just connected and developed a kinship. He's a remarkable man who has led a remarkable life," said Steve, a writer and filmmaker who became a Keystone volunteer last year. Read more »

  • Active Seniors Program a second home for Vince

    Quiet and unassuming, Vince downplays the length of his involvement with Keystone Community Services when he says "it goes back a little ways." In fact, Vince has been connected with Keystone  (and its predecessor agency, Merriam Park Community Services) for nearly 30 years. After farming in southwestern Minnesota, Vince moved to St. Paul's Merriam Park neighborhood in the 1956. When a bowling buddy mentioned that Keystone needed volunteers, Vince signed up to help distribute  food commodities to low-income families (the program is no longer offered). Read more »