GRANTEE STORY
KEYSTONE COMMUNITY SERVICES
Keystone Community Services is a nonprofit organization based in Ramsey County providing community-based services aimed at strengthening community and serving people with the greatest needs. Their programs are designed with community input to meet the changing needs of those served. Participants include young people and families, seniors, and anyone needing food support or crisis resources. Keystone delivers a variety of high-quality, evidence-based services in neighborhood gathering places that make our Twin Cities community stronger.
Constellation Fund is proud to provide targeted support to Keystone’s basic needs food programs which have collectively distributed more than 3.4 million pounds of food this past year. Keystone’s food programs include a food shelf that makes fresh, nutritious foods available in the St. Paul area, a food delivery program designed to help low-income seniors or adults with disabilities access food options, and a Foodmobile, which brings food shelf services directly to more than 30 sites across Twin Cities neighborhoods without access to full grocery stores.
BEHIND THE METRICS
Constellation Fund’s benefit-cost analysis for Keystone Community Services this year resulted in a significant increase in the organization’s benefit-cost ratio (BCR). Constellation attributes this increase to two main factors:
First, Keystone distributed much more food than the previous year at only slightly higher costs, thereby relieving food insecurity for more low-income households than last year. The second reason is a change to Constellation's food distribution metric.
We had previously used a version of the metric that related health improvements to the value of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Instead, for a more stable methodology that avoids the volatility of SNAP benefits, the metric now relates health benefits to a given amount of food.
The majority of benefits evidenced by the metric come from food distribution at Keystone’s two fixed-site food shelves. Keystone has just opened a new food shelf and expects to more than double the amount of food it distributes this coming year. Overall, Keystone’s ability to leverage free and reduced-cost food means it delivers a stable return on investment in addition to the community health and income benefits that result from reducing food insecurity.
MEETING THE NEED
Georgi Nguyen, Keystone’s Director of Basic Needs, says the new, expanded food shelf building which opened in January 2024 has dramatically increased their capacity to serve more people and hold more food. Nguyen notes that even with the site’s increased capacity, they sometimes aren’t able to keep up with the tremendous—and growing—need in the community. However, with support from the Constellation Fund, Keystone has been able to add two bilingual staff positions for the food markets which, Nguyen says, has been instrumental in serving the local community. Nguyen estimates that, on average, 60% of shoppers are Spanish speakers, something she believes “They know it’s a safe and trusted space where they can come and get their groceries for their family. They know that staff speak their language and are able to help them navigate getting connected to resources.”
Keystone has been operating since 1939 and has evolved over the years to meet community need. Today they are the largest food provider in the East Metro, having served 57,000 households in the last year alone. Keystone’s evolution and commitment to helping community members meet their needs to grow is a strong example of how Constellation and its partners are investing in lasting solutions.
SHOPPER STORIES
Meet some of our Twin Cities neighbors who are able to access fresh, nutritious food through Keystone Community Services.
Steven and Sherida
We have been in this neighborhood for about three years but we have recently been displaced. Right now we’re dealing with a major crisis. Other than that we’ve loved the community. It's a beautiful neighborhood. We love Keystone. This is our first visit to the new building, but we watched it be made and grow and it’s a beautiful thing, what it’s become. My goodness, I couldn’t wait. It’s a total blessing.
It’s beautiful and it’s impacted us immensely. We get very little SNAP benefits and we struggle, like we all do. Keystone is very helpful to make ends meet. We haven’t had a day where we went hungry, having this access so close by.
Jonathan
I currently live in St. Paul. My wife and I came to America in 2016 from Liberia, on the west coast of Africa. We couldn’t bring our four children because of financial problems. So for them, we are trying to make it in St. Paul. I currently work with a medical device company. Financially, the pay is not too high so we’ve got to do other things to get what we need.
Keystone helps a whole lot. We’ve had to cut down on extras. We’ve got children back home and send money for their upkeep and for schooling. The oldest is about 20 years old. He is in college, getting his Master’s degree. So, you see, supporting the children back home and getting your bills on the side is getting very difficult. The cost of living is only going up. So Keystone has been a great help to us.
Davian
I moved down here when I was nine from Chicago. I was homeless and then incarcerated for a little while. Now I’m just getting my apartment and stuff and I’m just trying to get back on track through school, friends, activities, and really trying to get back out into the world, into society.
I’m in carpentry right now at Summit Academy in Minneapolis. I have family support, people support, friend support, I’ve learned to keep certain people in my corner. Keystone’s food shelf is a really good place. I really like it. Keystone is definitely a place to go when you’re struggling. It’s a lot of hardships in the world. So when you’re struggling and you really need it, you can come here.
Keystone helps me by just giving me freedom. When you’re hungry, it’s hard to stay focused. It’s hard to go to work, go to school, do daily activities because all you’re thinking about is ‘man i’m hungry as hell and I can’t eat’ but having Keystone and having a food shelf, it’s easier for me to navigate through my life.
