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
Sisters of Charity, BVM
Sisters of St. Francis
Sisters of the Presentation and Visitation
John Deere
Portzen Construction
Municipal Well & Pump
Hirschbach Motor Lines
Verena Street Coffee Roasters
Lime Rock Springs Co.
Flynn Family Foundation
A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co.
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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Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter and occasional updates to stay informed about the latest news, inspiring stories, and impactful initiatives at Opening Doors!
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Every sponsorship level makes an impact that lasts far beyond one night. When you sponsor Opening Doors’ Attitude of Gratitude, you’re supporting women and children experiencing homelessness all year long. Your sponsorship helps provide safe shelter, basic needs, case management, supportive services, and opportunities for women and families to work toward stability and a home of their own. Whether you choose our highest sponsorship level or simply find the level that works best for you or your business, every sponsorship matters. Every dollar makes a difference. Join us for Attitude of Gratitude on October 24th and help us continue providing healing, hope, & home to the women and children we serve. Check out our sponsorship opportunities below and consider partnering with us this year!
In 2025, Opening Doors received 699 calls for shelter, and 42% of those requests had to be denied simply because we did not have the space. This July, 84 people were identified as living unsheltered in Dubuque County, compared to just 18 in 2022. The need is growing, and we know that no single organization can meet it alone. That’s why Opening Doors is working together with the Dubuque Rescue Mission and Dubuque Y Crisis Services to increase emergency shelter capacity in our community this winter. Our goal is simple: fewer people turned away and fewer of our neighbors sleeping outside in the cold. Making this possible will take additional space, beds, supplies, trained staff—and the support of our community. Together, we can create a stronger safety net for our neighbors when they need it most. Please read and share the story below to help spread the word.
💛 Mark Your Calendar. Make an Impact. What are you grateful for? At Opening Doors, we're grateful for a community that believes everyone deserves the opportunity to find stability, build a future, and thrive. Join us for the Attitude of Gratitude Gala on Saturday, October 24 as we celebrate the people, partnerships, and generosity that make our work possible. ✨ What's in store: 🍸 Cocktail Reception 🍽️ Dinner 💙 Resident Stories 🎉 Premier Auction Experiences 🎟️ Tickets are $125 🤝 Sponsorships are available from $1,800–$10,000 https://secure.qgiv.com/event/attitudeofgratitude26/ Bring your friends. Bring your colleagues. Bring your gratitude. Let's open doors together.
🎉 A BIG STEP FORWARD FOR DUBUQUE 🎉 Addressing homelessness is now a City Council high priority. This is an important step forward in recognizing that addressing homelessness requires a community-wide strategy and strong partnerships between the City and organizations already doing this work. At Opening Doors, we believe every person deserves a safe place to call home. We’re grateful to the City Council for recognizing the importance of this issue and to everyone in our community who continues to advocate, support, volunteer, and work alongside us. There is more work ahead, but today we’re celebrating progress toward a stronger, more coordinated response to homelessness in Dubuque. ❤️ Thank you, Dubuque, for believing that everyone deserves a place to call home.
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.