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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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
As part of our Women’s History Month Board Voices series, we’re honored to highlight the women who help guide the mission of Opening Doors through leadership, service, and advocacy. Today we’re proud to recognize Marlee Lopez Tart with Hirschbach, whose perspective reflects the heart of our work and the impact it has on the women and their children we serve. “It is a privilege to serve on the Opening Doors board. Opening Doors does more than provide temporary shelter and respite, we work to help women and their children rebuild confidence and move toward a stable future.” Marlee highlights that the organization’s focus on healing, hope, and home reflects the full journey women experience as they move from crisis toward stability. “Our model recognizes that being unhoused is not solely about housing insecurity. It often involves trauma, instability, and other barriers that require compassion and individualized support.” For Marlee, being part of the board means standing alongside an organization that creates real impact every day. “I am proud to be part of an organization that is making a tangible difference in people’s lives every single day.” We are grateful for Marlee’s leadership and commitment to ensuring women and their children have the support they need to rebuild, grow, and thrive. #WomensHistoryMonth #OpeningDoorsDBQ #WomenWhoLead #behindthemission
Cue the dancing! Join us May 2, 2026 | 6–9 PM at the Mississippi Moon Bar inside Diamond Jo Casino Dubuque for an unforgettable evening at Dubuque Dances with the Stars, presented by the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce This year we’re going Hollywood! A night full of dancing, celebration, and support for incredible local nonprofits. Our very own Eric Hilbun of Freedom Financial Wealth Management will be taking the stage alongside choreographer and dancer Emma Bible- Kunkel & Associates, Inc. as they dance in support of Opening Doors Dubuque. Come cheer them on and help make an impact for women and their children in our community. If you can’t attend but would still like to support Eric and Opening Doors, you can donate with the link in our bio. Let’s show up, show out, and support a great cause 🪩- Dancing with the Stars: Eric Hilbun, Freedom Financial, dancing for Opening Doors
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.