In 2006 Ralph Greenberg founded Key for Hope, a nonprofit that collects keys and other metal items to be sold as scrap. This semester, Greenberg’s daughter Alli, a human services major, brought Key for Hope to UMass Boston. The money earned from the scrap goes to the U-ACCESS program, which helps students facing challenges which might otherwise cause them to drop out of school, such as homelessness and chronic poverty, domestic violence, and legal trouble.

The enthusiastic Alli described herself as being “Dad’s right-hand girl”. She went on to say that for every 55 keys that the foundation collects, they are able to get two dollars on the scrap metal market. Key for Hope’s goal this year is to collect one million keys, and the foundation is well on its way to attaining that goal. So far, the group has collected a little under 500,000 keys which Greenberg says means more than $1,000 has been raised for charity.

Though still a junior, Greenberg is already thinking about the future. Upon receiving her degree, Greenberg wishes to “continue with the Key for Hope Foundation.” She also hopes to “focus more on the colleges and universities, and get kids my age on board.” But the organization reaches far beyond colleges and universities. For example, the Keys in the Classroom program works in grade schools.

Greenberg concluded by saying that she wants everyone to know that “one key can help, and with any collection of keys we can really make a difference.”