I’ll never forget the feeling of hope and satisfaction I felt the day I picked up the keys to my first Manhattan apartment. So when I discovered The Giving Keys, a charitable organization that employs people transitioning out of homelessness and spreads messages of hope through meaningful accessories, I knew I had to share its message with others.  It all started when singer/songwriter, Caitlin Crosby, was wearing a key necklace in a hotel room in New York City.  It was then that she got the idea to start engraving used and recycled keys with inspirational messages and turning them into necklaces.  When Caitlin started selling them on tour, she found herself constantly scrambling to find used keys, chains, and clasps because they would always sell out.  While on stage, Caitlin would talk to the audience about embracing their flaws and soon realized that in a way, we’re all like keys in that we are each unique, yet flawed and awkward.  Seeing that the keys could be a source of hope and love, Caitlin began to encourage people to pay it forward by giving their keys to someone they felt needed the message engraved on it.  But, still something was missing.

When Caitlin met Cera and Rob, a homeless couple, while walking down Hollywood Blvd, she found the missing link to The Giving Keys that made them mean so much more.  She took them to dinner that night and listened to their stories about having spent the majority of their lives on the streets.  The next day, she asked them to be her business partners.  She began meeting the couple on street corners and in alley ways giving them cash in exchange for bags of keys.  Soon Cera and Rob saved enough money to get their own apartment, Rob got his GED, and Cera got a job at the San Diego Zoo.  Both still work at The Giving Keys part-time.  As the business grew even more, Caitlin teamed up with United Way and PATH to help more people transitioning out of homelessness support themselves and find a permanent place to call home.

Every time I hear the story of how The Giving Keys came to be, I get tears in my eyes.  Accessories often hold deeper meanings and these keys are the epitome of this concept.  I encourage anyone looking for a meaningful gift for someone in need of inspiration to order a Giving Key engraved with a message of courage and strength.  Once they have taken in the message, they can pass the key along to someone else in need of the same inspiration.  All are encouraged to share their stories on The Giving Keys website in order to further inspire others.

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