Southwest Key Programs offered five deserving youth scholarships toward furthering their education. This is the first scholarship program geared toward youth participating in Youth Justice programming. Scholarship recipients were nominated by staff who have worked closely them and have watched them grow during their time with Southwest Key. They have been recognized as engaged participants,...
A.J. came to the Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP) campus in November 2018 after being expelled. When he arrived, he fought the rules and tried to buck the system. However, as he adjusted to the program and began to trust the staff, he began using the program to his benefit. He began regularly attending...
In July, a group of Kansan Mennonites embarked on a learning tour of the U.S. Mexico border. The group visited courthouses, charities and immigrant shelters to gain a better understanding of what immigrants are experiencing when they cross the border....
Victor Monge - Head Cook at Casa Las Palmas Mesa, Arizona. I started at Casa Campbell 7 years ago as a youth care worker and culinary arts teacher for our residents. Although I have 14 years of culinary experience, I was drawn to the mission of Southwest Key, because I like helping and mentoring others’ skill...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Their number one job when they come into this facility is to get these kids home. NPR was granted access to tour Southwest Key Program's Houston shelter, Casa Sunzal, which houses up to 223 youth from 16-17 years old. Houston Public Media noted that the shelter was adorned with international flags and bright decorations, similar to a...
Ana is a 15-year-old girl from El Salvador who was placed at Casa Campbell in Phoenix with her siblings. At intake Ana was unable to have a coherent conversation with others. She was unable to write her name or identify letters or numbers. This is because Ana has a developmental disability....
Southwest Key Programs has been a longstanding partner of the Central Texas Food Bank. With over a decade of service through this partnership, Southwest Key has served tens of thousands of individuals through a food bank location and mobile food pantry. ...
Maya was a shy girl of nearly 18 when she arrived at a Southwest Key shelter in the summer of 2018. Quietly relaying her story to her case manager, she told of the two-year-old daughter back home in Honduras she had to leave behind to seek work in the U.S....
Douglas Ward - Teacher at Casa Esperanza in Brownsville, Texas. Before I started working at Southwest Key, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but I have always enjoyed working with adolescents and I knew this was an opportunity to make a difference. I realized I’d be working with minors who had come from violent areas,...
Vicky became a mentee in the Youth Justice program at 16 years old after having problems in school and following a negative path. She was struggling academically, had a high number of school suspensions, surrounded herself with peers that had a negative influence on her, and became involved in the juvenile justice system. Eventually, Vicky’s growing...