Two St. Paul-based nonprofit groups are merging to form the largest provider of basic needs service in the east metro.

On April 1, Keystone Community Services will merge with the West 7th Community Center, a private nonprofit organization that offers youth and senior programs as well as tax and food assistance and legal referrals to the neighborhoods along West Seventh Street. The community center, which will keep its name, is at 265 Oneida St., south of St. Clair Avenue.

Greg Wandersee, executive director of the 43-year-old community center, said the merger will strengthen the existing services offered by both nonprofits.

“We have similar missions, similar services,” Wandersee said. “We’re both longtime place-based human service organizations in St. Paul. The public isn’t going to notice a difference, necessarily.”

Keystone Community Services currently runs a Meals on Wheels program, an active seniors program, case management for disabled adults, Hmong outreach and youth apprentice jobs. Its food shelves are on University Avenue in St. Paul’s Midway area, on Rice Street and on North Hamline Avenue in Roseville. The organization is 75 years old.

“As a result of the merger, Keystone will have the largest basic-needs program in the east metro area and two of the largest community-based youth and senior programs in St. Paul,” said Jen Winterfeldt, Keystone’s director of community relations.

Beginning in April, the merged organizations will serve 30,000 people at seven locations, including major multi-service sites at the Merriam Park Community Center and the West 7th Community Center. Currently, 85 percent of Keystone’s clients are low-income and 64 percent are people of color.

Keystone has been participating in strategic discussions with five privately run community centers in St. Paul to determine if they can collaborate on services. “This has sort of spun off those discussions,” Winterfeldt said.

The other groups involved in the discussions are Neighborhood House, Merrick Community Services and the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center. “The community center folks are going to continue to meet,” Winterfeldt said. “That’s sort of a long-term strategic plan.”

Wandersee, who spent 17 years with Keystone, has run the West 7th Community Center for five years. He said he will stay on staff until at least the end of the year to help with the transition, but most changes within his organization will be administrative. “We’re not at this point planning any reductions in staff,” he said.

Frederick Melo can be reached at 651-228-2172. Follow him at twitter.com/FrederickMelo.