Empowering Women, Changing LiveS
Opening Doors uplifts and empowers women and children experiencing homelessness and poverty. Through housing, support, and comprehensive services, we collaborate with dynamic partners to provide hospitality, hope, and opportunity to over 5,000 women and their children. Our work builds a compassionate community and invests in a brighter future, helping women and their families overcome hardship, achieve self-sufficiency, and embark on paths to independence and success.
In Need of Shelter?
Call Teresa Shelter at 563.690.0086
Emergency and extended stay program are based upon availability. For additional resources please call the Homeless Hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week dial 2-1-1.
Three Doorways to Hope
Since organizational inception, our work has grown to encompass four locations including our operations center and three separate facilities including emergency, transitional, and permanent supportive housing. Our approach prioritizes key pillars: maintaining sobriety, securing full-time employment, regularly meeting with a case manager, and saving 30% of income. Due to these values, we are limited in our access to state and federal funding, as we choose to uphold our long-term vision over short-term compliance.
Teresa Shelter
Maria House
Francis Apartments
Emergency and Extended Stay Programs
Transitional Houseing for up to two years
Income-based affordable housing
Three Doorways to Hope
Since organizational inception, our work has grown to encompass four locations including our operations center and three separate facilities including emergency, transitional, and permanent supportive housing. Our approach prioritizes key pillars: maintaining sobriety, securing full-time employment, regularly meeting with a case manager, and saving 30% of income. Due to these values, we are limited in our access to state and federal funding, as we choose to uphold our long-term vision over short-term compliance.
We’re more than partners with the National Women’s Shelter Network—we’re family helping families.
The NWSN has officially launched a national toll-free help line designed to connect women, children, and families experiencing—or at risk of—homelessness with shelter and supportive resources through its trusted member network.
This new resource expands access to safe, dignified, and trauma-informed pathways forward, especially for individuals navigating crisis, displacement, or housing instability.
NWSN National Help Line:
1-833-THE-NWSN (1-833-843-6976)
Opening Doors is proud to stand alongside the National Women’s Shelter Network (NWSN) as they take a major step forward in strengthening access to safe shelter across the country.
Why This Matters to Opening Doors?
As a proud NWSN member, we believes deeply in shared solutions, collective advocacy, and systems-level change. This national help line strengthens the continuum of care by:
- Improving access to shelter information
- Reducing barriers for women and families seeking help
- Amplifying the reach and impact of local programs through national collaboration
Together, we are building a stronger, more connected safety net—because safe shelter saves lives.
Please follow important disclaimers – The NWSN toll-free number does not replace emergency services.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911 or your local emergency services.
Community Partners
John Deere
Portzen Consturciton
Municipal Well & Pump
Hirschbauch Motor Lines
Verena Street
Lime Rocks Spring Co.
Flynn Family Foundation
All sister communities
AY McDonlad
McCoy Group
Tricon Construction
Cottingham & Butler
Dubuque StamPing & Manufacturing
Universal Tank & Fabrication
Dupaco COMMUNITY Credit Union
UMB Bank
DRA
News
Counting What Matters: How the PIT Count Supports Our Neighbors
Each year, the Point-in-Time Count provides a critical snapshot of homelessness in our community, helping identify service gaps and guide funding decisions at the local,
Attitude of Gratitude 2025 – Event Recap & Your Impact
With so many exciting things happening at Opening Doors, we’re thrilled to finally share a full recap of this year’s Attitude of Gratitude, and what
Help Us With a Critical Need
Every day, women and children call Opening Doors home. Right now, over 30 individuals are living in our emergency shelter and transitional housing. Together, we
Back to School: Ensuring Every Child Has a Fair Start
As backpacks are packed and classrooms fill with the energy of a new school year, we’re reminded of the excitement and hope this season brings.
Events
Visit Support the Mission of Opening Doors
The women in our programs come from diverse backgrounds, with lived experiences including domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health challenges, and generational poverty. At Opening Doors, we treat each woman and child with dignity, offering personalized, comprehensive case management. Through this process, women are empowered to realize their full potential by setting achievable goals, gaining employment support, receiving life skills training, and participating in financial literacy programs, parenting classes, substance abuse treatment, and health care services. We also provide access to essential resources like food and clothing, helping them move toward stable, independent living.
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We’re honored to share that Opening Doors was recently featured in the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce Quarterly (CQ)—an electronic magazine highlighting the Power of Giving in our community. This spring issue shines a light on local nonprofits and the impact that generosity, partnership, and community support have on organizations like ours. We are proud to be part of a network that believes in showing up for one another and investing in meaningful change. ✨ Take a moment to read the feature here: https://online.fliphtml5.com/amcii/ahmy/#p=34 Thank you to the Dubuque Chamber for this recognition and for continuing to uplift the work happening across our community. Together, we are creating stronger pathways to stability, hope, and opportunity for the women and their children we serve. #OpeningDoorsDBQ #PowerOfGiving #DubuqueChamber #CommunityImpact
Last week, we had the opportunity to welcome an incredible group from People In Need (PIN) to the Teresa Shelter for a tour. PIN plays a vital role in our community by working alongside local partners to provide support for individuals and families facing financial hardship, assisting with essential needs like rent, water, gas, and electric bills. Their work meets people in moments of crisis and helps create pathways toward stability. We are so grateful for their time, thoughtful questions, and genuine interest in learning more about the work we do every day at Opening Doors. It’s partnerships like these that strengthen our community and ensure that no one has to navigate hardship alone. At Opening Doors, our mission is to provide safe housing and supportive services to women and their children experiencing homelessness, helping them rebuild their lives through a program-first approach rooted in stability, accountability, and long-term success. Want to learn more about what happens inside our walls? We invite you to come see it for yourself. Join us for a tour of the Teresa Shelter and experience firsthand how your support and community collaboration are making a difference. 📩 Reach out to schedule a tour—we would love to connect with you. #OpeningDoorsDBQ #CommunityMatters #StrongerTogether #EndHomelessness
Feeling especially lucky today spending time with the Sisters of the Presentation. We had the opportunity to tour their space, learn more about their history, and reflect on the meaningful partnership we continue to share. Their legacy of service and commitment to community is truly inspiring, and we are incredibly grateful to walk alongside them in this work 💚 Excited to be back in a few weeks for a Gather & Grow series!
Honoring a Legacy That Lives On, Year After Year 💚 At Opening Doors, we are reminded every day that a legacy is not just what we leave behind, it’s what continues to grow, give, and impact lives long after we’re gone. Today, we honor Peggy Furey Crahan and the beautiful legacy she created within our organization and community. Through her generosity and foresight, Peggy established funds that continue to provide meaningful experiences for the women and their children we serve- from field trips to simple, joy-filled moments that allow families to create memories together. These are the moments that restore hope, build connection, and remind our residents that they are deserving of joy. We are especially honored to hear from Kevin Crahan, our Board President, as he reflects on how his mother’s compassion continues to shape Opening Doors today. As Kevin shares, it is after his mother’s compassion and her belief in giving women and their children a hand up—not a hand out—that continues to shape growth, sustainable living, family reunification, and strong community partnerships. Legacy gifts like Peggy’s are incredibly powerful. They ensure that our mission lives on for generations- providing stability, opportunity, and healing for women and children long into the future. They allow us to dream bigger, plan further, and continue offering not just shelter, but a place to rebuild, belong, and thrive. Peggy’s legacy is not just remembered. It is lived out every single day within our walls. Thank you, Peggy. Your impact continues
With the help of both the Teresa Shelter and Maria House I know I can do anything if I just stay positive and put my mind to it. With you having “Open Doors” there is hope for everyone who enters the programs.