Opening Doors: The Non-Profit Behind the Teresa Shelter, Maria House & Francis Apartments

Dubuque non-profit Opening Doors aims to take care of women with no place to go while helping them to get them back on their feet.

“Opening Doors’ story started in 2000 with a homeless woman on a park bench with no place to stay,” said Ann Lorenz, development and marketing director of Opening Doors. “Since that time, we have empowered over 3,300 women and children, teaching them life skills to help them build a brighter future for their families.”

The Opening Doors Organization, which operates Teresa Shelter, Maria House, and the Francis Apartments, provides shelter and life and job skills training for women in the Tri-State area. Maria House provides transitional housing for residents up to two years, while Teresa Shelter offers short-term emergency shelter services and an extended stay program.

Opening Doors opened the Francis Apartments last year to offer permanent supportive housing for graduates of Maria House and Teresa Shelter.

We recently went on a shopping trip to help the Opening Doors Organization stock up on one of their frequent needs: laundry soap and socks.

“We go through those items very quickly,” Lorenz said. “Our Wish List ebbs and flows – changing throughout the year, but laundry soap is like gold.”

Want to help? View their wish list here.

“Wish List donations allow us to redistribute operating funds to expand our programming to better serve our community,” Lorenz said.

Each year the Opening Doors Organization serves over 300 women and children.

Learn more about Opening Doors here.