The Brian Garcia Welcome Center is the first stop for residents seeking assistance at the Key Campus in downtown Phoenix (photo courtesy of Keys to Change).
With the arrival of the first 100-degree day of the year, the HVAC system at Key Campus is feeling the heat. Keys to Change estimates that $115,000 in immediate repairs is needed to ensure reliable cooling during the coming Phoenix summer, and they are asking local businesses and individuals to assist.
In her April 9 blog, Keys to Change CEO Amy Schwabenlender sounded the alarm and made a direct appeal for community support. She is “calling all you angels” to help fund repairs to the overworked air conditioning system at Key Campus (previously the Human Services Campus).
“The HVAC chiller system cools three areas on Key Campus: the Lodestar Day Resource Center (central hub for client services and respite), CASS (600-bed single adult shelter), and Brighter Way Dental Clinic,” said Schwabenlender. “Should the chillers stop working, we will put the health of clients and employees at risk.”
Eighteen thousand unhoused individuals received services at the 13-acre Key Campus in 2024, while hundreds of front-line staff and administrative personnel provided 24-hour support, housing navigation and more.
Schwabenlender added, “On Key Campus, shelter spaces remain full…with the exception of the Overflow Shelter, which is ramping down due to the end of funding on May 31. Effective June 1, St. Vincent de Paul will operate a Heat Relief Shelter in their dining room for a lower capacity than we have provided since 2020. The end of Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding is becoming evident, and we see the reduction of capacity in a variety of programs.”
Heat relief is an annual priority at Key Campus, with the Thirst Aid Heat Relief Campaign – set to kick off next week – entering its 16th year. Thirst Aid alone provides the funding and volunteer support to distribute some 120,000 bottles of water each month throughout the summer.
The HVAC chiller system repair is a simultaneous need, prompting the additional urgent request from Schwabenlender.
Last year was the hottest summer on record in Phoenix, with the first 100-plus degree day of the season on April 22, 2024. Today, April 11, marks the first day this year to reach the 100-degree mark.
To read the full blog post from Schwabenlender, visit www.keystochangeaz.org/calling-all-angels. For more information about Keys to Change, visit www.keystochangeaz.org.
