Keystone Mission Secures Public Shower Access Keystone Mission successfully advocated and secured public shower access for the unhoused population it serves in the City of Scranton at its facilities open for public use. Guests at Keystone Mission’s Innovation Center now have access to showers at Scranton’s Weston Field House, to preserve their health, safety, and dignity just as all other members of the public, thanks to a meeting with agency leaders and personnel.Shower access allows guests to clean up for job interviews, obtain job interviews, and other opportunities that would not be available to them.
Keystone Mission Introduces New CEO Keystone Mission introduces Danielle O. Keith-Alexandre as their new CEO & Executive Director. Her vision is to continue the journey together with the NEPA community for Keystone Mission to be a beacon of hope for the homeless and marginalized in Northeast PA.Keith-Alexandre has a background of 20+ years working with individuals experiencing HIV+/AIDS, substance abuse, homelessness, and other marginalized communities through non-profit programming and contract management.She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Human and Social Services from Walden University.
Keystone Mission Receives Grant In June 2023, Keystone Mission received a $1,000 grant from The Giant Company, supporting the ongoing food needs at the Transformation Center. This grant bolsters Keystone Mission’s Make a Meal Program.“Residents are given weekly responsibilities to cook meals, and we are seeing a positive impact on their mental and physical health. A healthy diet reduces the risk of chronic diseases and improves the chances of a sustainable lifestyle,” says Justin Behrens, CEO & Executive Director.Giant is one of Keystone Mission’s local partnerships that provides residents with the ability to shop locally and reap the benefits of healthy eating.
Keystone Mission Receives Community Grant MileOne Cares, the philanthropic arm of MileOne Autogroup, presented Keystone Mission with a community grant to expand its transportation program throughout the organization. Funds support transportation for clients through public transit or organizational vehicle use. Transportation is a daily part of programming that allows Keystone Mission to safely connect our clients and residents to the proper resources such as medical, dental, and mental health, prescription pick up, job interviews, DMV, or welfare services. “We need to remember that the lack of transportation can result in missed employment opportunities and medical appointments,” says Kathy Regan, Scranton Program Director of Keystone Mission.
Keystone Mission Receives Support from Local Foundations Keystone Mission Receives Support for Aftercare Life Coach Keystone Mission was presented with a $2,500 check from The Honesdale National Bank Foundation to support the hiring of an aftercare life coach for the 2023 year. The goal of this program is to allow graduates to stay connected with supportive case management to ensure a full transition into self-sufficiency, avoiding relapse into homelessness. The life coach will perform follow-up care through home visits, telephone calls, and counseling sessions. They will lend extra support and guidance to our and other community graduates upon successful transition out of homelessness and into the community. Keystone Mission Receives Support to Supplement Breakfast and Lunch Keystone Mission was presented with a $1,000 check from The UNICO Foundation to supplement the breakfast and lunch meals at the Scranton Innovation Center for Homeless & Poverty. The Ralph J. Torraco Food Bank/Shelter Fund Grant provides funds through community-established food/shelter programs that provide food and shelter to those in need.Food security is a critical first step to ensuring that guests of Keystone Mission can begin to focus on transformational self-care that was neglected while homeless. In March 2023, Keystone Mission provided over 1,500 meals in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.
Keystone Mission uses Grant Funds In June 2022, Keystone Mission received an $18,500 grant through the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s Spring 2022 Community Needs grant cycle. The funds were used for the operation of the Scranton Innovation Center for Homeless & Poverty and for expanding programmings such as the Go Green Team and Pathfinders Program.
FNCB Bank Donates $2,500 to the Keystone Mission FNCB Bank, through the FNCB Bank Charitable Foundation, today announced a $2,500 donation to Keystone Mission for their Code Blue Emergency Shelter program. The Code Blue Shelter is an emergency shelter that serves people who are homeless and who might otherwise remain unsheltered during periods of extreme winter weather throughout Lackawanna and Luzerne County. A “Code Blue” alert is issued when the forecast temperature, including wind chills, is expected to reach 20 degrees or lower, or a foot or more of snow, according to AccuWeather. The Keystone Rescue Mission Donation is part of FNCB’s larger Community Caring initiative. As a true, local community bank, FNCB is making a difference through volunteerism, donations, and outreach programs.
Keystone Mission Launches New Program Keystone Mission’s Scranton Innovation Center launches a new vocational program called Pathfinders. The Pathfinders Program was created to produce job-ready and purpose-filled individuals who can get off the streets by securing sustainable pay. Guests are given job-like responsibilities and gain new skills like how to interview, résumé-building, and communication skills. When guests enter Keystone Mission’s Innovation Center for Homeless & Poverty, they find more than basic relief. The Innovation Center is designed to connect men and women experiencing homelessness with mental/physical health resources, housing assistance, and vocational training. Individuals suffering from chronic homelessness often lack the vocational skills necessary to secure gainful employment. The Pathfinders Program was created to produce job-ready and purpose-filled individuals who can get off the streets by securing sustainable pay. “Pathfinders is a groundbreaking volunteer program. Enthusiasm is spreading quickly. [Guests] are taking pride in their work, and that is success any way you look at it,” says Kathy Regan, Scranton Program Manager. The Pathfinders Program was launched in November 2022, and in the first three months, there has been a positive response among guests with significant growth in accountability, restructuring of routines, and strength in fellowship. Guests are given job-like responsibilities around the Mission and also gain skills such as how to interview, build a résumé, and interact in a professional sense. “This program allows our guests to make mistakes, to have do-overs that they wouldn’t typically have during the hiring and employment process of traditional employment,” says Lasha Wyman-Klein, Vocational Specialist. “[Pathfinders] focuses on helping guests learn new skills, sharpen existing skills, and give back… it’s something that they can feel proud of and something that feels like it is theirs.” The Pathfinders Program is one more way Keystone Mission can provide life-transforming opportunities to the homeless, hungry, and hurting in Northeast PA.
Keystone Mission Receives ARPA Grant Keystone Mission was awarded a $25,000 grant from the City of Scranton American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Nonprofit Grants Fund in partnership with the Scranton Area Community Foundation. The funding will help replenish the revenue loss during the Covid-19 pandemic and weather financial hardship brought by the unexpected expenses related.
Keystone Mission Receives Grant On Thursday, November 3rd, 2022, Keystone Mission was given the opportunity to present the organization in front of the members of the Millennium Circle Fund, a subgroup of the Luzerne Foundation. The Millennium Circle is made up of local community donors who seek to identify and support the unmet needs in the Luzerne County community. The member’s voices were heard, and they chose Keystone Mission as the $25,000 recipient. Funds will benefit the 15-Bed Male Transformation Center in Wilkes-Barre. Keystone Mission wants to acknowledge the other finalists: The United Way of Wyoming Valley, the Commission on Economic Opportunity, the Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA, and the McGlynn Center for all their hard work and efforts in the community.
