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.
Upcoming Events
Great Give Day
Opening Doors Dubuque 2100 Asbury Road, Dubuque, IA, United StatesThe Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque is excited to present Great Give Day, our annual online giving event to connect nonprofits and donors across our seven-county region (Allamakee, Clayton, Clinton, […]
Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting
Maria House 1561 Jackson St., Dubuque, IA, United StatesFREE Event on Thursday June 5th- Join Opening Doors as we celebrate 25 years of empowering women and children in our community! We're marking this incredible milestone with a Ribbon Cutting […]
Filling Your Cup
Hotel Julien 200 Main St, Dubuque, IA, United StatesSponsorship Menu (PDF) Purchase Tickets We are thrilled to announce that Jasmine Brett Stringer will be joining us as the keynote speaker for this year’s summer event, Filling Your Cup. Meet Jasmine Brett Stringer! Jasmine Brett Stringer is a renowned keynote speaker, award-winning author of Seize Your Life: How to Carpe Diem Every Day, on-air […]
Save the Date: Attitude of Gratitude
Grand River Center 500 Bell St., Dubuque, IA, United StatesMark your calendar for Saturday, November 15, 2025, as we gather at the Grand River Center in Dubuque for our 23rd Annual Attitude of Gratitude Gala—an evening dedicated to celebrating […]
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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FREE Event on Thursday June 5th- Join Opening Doors as we celebrate 25 years of empowering women and children in our community!
We’re marking this incredible milestone with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in partnership with the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce — and you’re part of the story.
Celebrate our dedicated staff, incredible community partners, and the thousands of lives transformed over the years.
Learn about our vision for the next 25 years of hope, housing, and healing.
Lunch will be available for purchase, and guests are invited to enjoy a guided tour of Maria House, one of the heartbeats of our mission.
📍 Location: Maria House, 1561 Jackson St., Dubuque, IA
📅 Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
🕒 Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
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FREE Event on Thursday June 5th- Join Opening Doors as we celebrate 25 years of empowering women and children in our community!
We’re marking this incredible milestone with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in partnership with the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce — and you’re part of the story.
Celebrate our dedicated staff, incredible community partners, and the thousands of lives transformed over the years.
Learn about our vision for the next 25 years of hope, housing, and healing.
Lunch will be available for purchase, and guests are invited to enjoy a guided tour of Maria House, one of the heartbeats of our mission.
📍 Location: Maria House, 1561 Jackson St., Dubuque, IA
📅 Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
🕒 Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Empower Women, Change Lives
In 2023, Opening Doors proudly took full ownership of Francis Apartments, a major step in expanding both our impact and sustainability as a nonprofit.
Francis Apartments is our Permanent Supportive Housing program, providing safe, affordable homes for women and children who have experienced homelessness. Residents continue to receive guidance from Case Managers as they build independent, stable lives.
But that’s not all—Francis Apartments is also a source of income for Opening Doors, helping sustain our mission long into the future. By owning this property, we’ve created a lasting asset that supports our programs financially and strengthens our ability to serve more women in need.
🏠 Stability for our residents.
💛 Support that empowers.
🔑 Sustainability for our mission.
Thank you to our supporters for helping us make this milestone possible!
#OpeningDoorsDBQ #FrancisApartments #SupportiveHousing #NonprofitSustainability #EmpoweringWomen #EndHomelessness #Dubuque
🙏🏡 Grateful for Community Champions: Melissa Schmitt Supports Opening Doors
We’d like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Melissa Schmitt of New Eagle Wealth Management for her unwavering support and advocacy for our mission. Yesterday, Melissa took the time to join us for an updated tour of our program and homes, as well as discussing our vision for the future of Opening Doors.
It’s community champions like Melissa who make our work possible, and we truly couldn’t do it without the support of individuals and organizations in our community who share our commitment to making a difference.
Thank you, Melissa, for your continued support and belief in our mission. Together, we can create lasting change and build brighter futures!
#OpeningDoorsDBQ #CommunityChampions #MelissaSchmitt #SupportingOurMission #StrongerTogether
🌸 Happy Mother’s Day! 🌸
Today, we celebrate the strength, love, and resilience of all the incredible mothers in our community — especially the courageous women at Opening Doors who are working hard every day to build brighter futures for themselves and their families.
To our amazing mothers: your determination inspires us, your love grounds us, and your journey gives hope to so many. 💜
Thank you for showing the world what true strength looks like.
#MothersDay #OpeningDoors #StrongWomenStrongFamilies #HopeBeginsHere
A Fond Farewell to Lauren Krapfl 💗
This week, we shared an emotional goodbye as we wished our beloved Case Manager, Lauren Krapfl, all the best on her next professional adventure and exciting new chapter.
Lauren began her journey with Opening Doors as a field student in January 2021 during her senior year at Loras College. Her passion and dedication quickly stood out, and she was soon hired as a part-time Program Advocate. After earning her Master of Social Work from Clarke University in May 2023, she was promoted to a full-time Case Manager, working closely with our Emergency Stay residents and the amazing volunteers who support our mission.
Lauren brought heart, joy, and unwavering commitment to every role she stepped into. From walking alongside women in their journeys to empowering volunteers to engage meaningfully with our work, she truly embodied the mission of Opening Doors.
Thank you, Lauren, for the compassion, hard work, and warmth you brought to the shelter every single day. You will be deeply missed!
THANK YOU to our Amazing Sponsors!!
Our annual Filling Your Cup event next month — and we couldn’t do it without our sponsors!
A special shout-out to our Cappuccino Sponsors:
@tuckerfreightlines
@cottinghambutler
@bvmsisters
DuTrac Community Credit Union
Sisters of the Presentation
And heartfelt thanks to our Brew Crew Sponsors:
Sisters of St. Francis
@houseoftraveldbq
Friday Financial
In-Kind Sponsors
@verenastreet
@hoteljuliendubuque
@thmediadubuque
@district20supplyco
@amazon
Curious about becoming a sponsor? email natalie@openingdoorsdbq.org
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.