“All of us have been resilient. We have used this time to be transformative with the ultimate goal—to great inclusive communities, build a better world, and change lives,” said Charles Hooker, President and CEO of Keystone Human Services, during the 49th Annual Meeting of the Membership of the Corporation on November 4, 2021.
“The story of Keystone Human Services has been one of growth and service to people with disability,” said Terri Slocomb, KHS Board Chair and Corporate Member. “Keystone and agencies like us are called to be there for the long term for the people and families we serve. Maintaining an enduring presence means we must continually evolve as people’s needs change and as the world changes.”
Creativity and resilience were the resounding themes as we looked back over the 2020-2021 fiscal year. When we first faced the global pandemic, none of us could have imagined the changes and challenges it would bring. We had no playbook to draw on, no tried-and-true guidance to turn to. Our only guides were our unwavering commitment to supporting people with respect and inclusion and our foundational responsibility to the extraordinary people who make KHS a global leader—our employees.
Our employees have shown courage, resourcefulness, and creativity. We’ve become a leader in using technology to support independence. We’ve worked alongside adults with disability and employers to promote opportunities for integrated employment at competitive play. We’ve built platforms to support advocacy by and for people with disability, supported thousands of families living in poverty, and placed more assistance dogs in a single year than ever before.
We’ve helped thousands of people to find their place in their communities.
When we work to build a more inclusive world, we mean inclusion for all people—the people we support, employees, everyone, said Hooker. We have backed up our commitment with action, launching an ambitious and vital Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity effort to create a more inclusive culture within our organization, where all employees feel respected and included. We are listening, learning, engaging, and making change. Our rich diversity is our strength.
Building a better world for all of us takes all of us working together. We take pride in our accomplishments of the past year and look toward the future.
Read the 2020-2021 Annual Report