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.
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
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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Opening Doors Dubuque
Empowering women and children experiencing homelessness through compassionate care & comprehensive programs. We provide shelter, support, and a path toward stability and independence. Services: Teresa Shelter, Maria House, and Francis Apt
January was a long one- but it was a productive one. We started 2026 with momentum, connection, and meaningful progress behind the scenes and on the front lines.
✔️ Launched our Gather & Grow series and took a virtual tour into local businesses & homes.
✔️ Hosted more live tours, because more tours mean more advocates
✔️ Updated our website donation options to create more flexible, accessible online giving
✔️ Kicked off grant writing for the year ahead
✔️ Celebrated one of the strongest holiday appeals we could ask for
✔️ Took time to celebrate our staff at a well-deserved holiday party
✔️ Our Program Director presented final 2025 impact numbers to our Board
✔️ Our new Executive Director participated in the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count for the first time
✔️ Hosted multiple J-Term classes, supporting a wide range of volunteer and project needs
✔️ Celebrated resident success as women moved into new, sustainable living situations
✔️ Made key updates to our administrative office systems, creating greater efficiency behind the scenes
We’re grateful for the staff, partners, volunteers, and supporters who helped us start the year strong. Every step—big or small, moves women and their children closer to healing, hope, and home.
#OpeningDoorsDubuque #JanuaryRecap #CommunityImpact #PITCount #GatherAndGrow SafeShelterSavesLives
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This week, our Executive Director, Jessica Schlader, alongside community partners, had the opportunity to participate in the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, a biannual nationwide effort to count individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our community on a single night.
The PIT Count helps identify who is experiencing homelessness, where gaps in services exist, and what resources are needed most. This data directly informs local, state, and federal funding decisions and helps communities plan effective, long-term solutions.
We are grateful to Shelby Eipperle, Homeless Program Coordinator with Community Solutions of Eastern Iowa - CSEI and the East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA), for coordinating this important effort and bringing partners together in service of our community.
Why this matters:
Data for the PIT count are submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and accurate data leads to better funding, stronger programs, and more informed advocacy. Most importantly, it ensures that individuals and families experiencing homelessness are seen, counted, and included in solutions that create pathways to stability, dignity, and home. Resources such as sleeping bags and warm clothes were also made available to those in need during the count.
Thank you to all who participated and continue to show up for our community.
#PointinTimeCount #CommunityCollaboration #endinghomelessness #openingdoorsdubuque #datadriveschange
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Feeling extra grateful today 🙏❤️
We had the absolute pleasure of spending time with students from Wahlert High School - @holyfamilydbq and wow, what an incredible group!
They worked so efficiently that we truly ran out of things for them to do (which never happens 😄). From organizing the attic to carefully carrying baby items into our baby closet—tasks that we wouldn’t have been able to manage on our own, their help made an immediate and lasting impact.
Because of their hard work, we’re now able to keep a clearer inventory of what we have and what we still need. They built and installed a brand-new shelving unit in our supply closet, unpacked boxes of shampoo, conditioner, and body soap, dusted high décor, scrubbed crayon and marker off the walls, and even helped us donate grocery-bag blankets to The Mission.
This is what community looks like- young people showing up with heart, energy, and a willingness to serve. We are so grateful for the time, care, and compassion these students shared with us today. Thank you, Wahlert for making a difference at Opening Doors!
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Donation Request: Hair Care Products Needed <3
Many of the women we serve have textured, curly, or coily hair, and standard “one-size-fits-all” hygiene products simply do not meet their basic hair care needs.
We are running low on appropriate hair care products- especially moisturizing hair oils, leave-in conditioners, curl creams, and styling products formulated for textured hair are essential for maintaining scalp health, preventing breakage, and supporting personal dignity. Products not designed for textured hair can lead to dryness, scalp irritation, and damage, which can negatively impact a woman’s physical comfort and self-esteem.
We are currently seeking donations of new:
- Hair oil (most needed)
- Leave-in conditioner
- Hair gel or mousse
- Satin or silk bonnets
These items help women feel confident, cared for, and respected as they focus on healing, stability, and moving forward.
How to Help: Shop our Amazon Wish List - a.co/a7VQmrQ or drop off donations at 2100 Asbury Rd Ste 8. Dubuque, IA from 9-4pm Monday through Friday-
Thank you for helping!
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📣 Volunteer Opportunities Updated!
We’ve refreshed our needs on Volunteer DBQ, and if you’ve been wondering where to start, this is the perfect place.
Volunteers are a crucial part of our growth at Opening Doors. From behind-the-scenes administrative support to hands-on help, those extra sets of hands make it possible for us to continue serving women and children with care, dignity, and consistency. We truly couldn’t do this work without you.
Whether you’re looking to give a few hours or become a regular volunteer, there’s a place for you here.
Get started today:
Visit Volunteer DBQ to see our current opportunities and find the role that fits you best.
www.volunteerdbq.com/need/detail/?need_id=1205186
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This month, we were grateful to welcome Pedro Calderon, District Representative for Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, for a tour of Opening Doors.
Over the past two years, one of our strongest intentions has been to open our doors wider—to community leaders, partners, and policymakers because real change happens when people see, hear, and understand the work happening inside our walls. Tours are a critical part of our commitment to political advocacy, education, and community partnership.
At Opening Doors, our mission is rooted in empowering women and children experiencing homelessness through structured programming, trauma-informed care, and accountability—creating pathways toward stability, dignity, and long-term independence. Advocacy and informed leadership help ensure these pathways remain accessible and supported at the local, state, and federal levels.
Thank you, Pedro, for taking the time to join us, ask thoughtful questions, and be an advocate for our community. We appreciate your willingness to learn, listen, and engage in conversations that help strengthen solutions for women and families in need.
Email natalie@openingdoorsdbq.org to learn more about the tours.
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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.