Mission

Open Door Community House was founded in 1935 to help women, children, and families who are living in poverty or experiencing homelessness find empowerment, hope, and faith in a God who can do more than they can imagine. To achieve our purpose, Open Door delivers seven program ministries that address the root causes of poverty and homelessness, ensuring long-term success for the 700+ children and adults we serve each year. Programming provides education, access to new resources, hands-on training, community, and hope and is provided at no cost to children, women, and families with low incomes (up to 80% of the area median income). Open Door’s program ministries include: - Mathews Promise Academy: An afterschool and full-day summer program for K-12 students focused on improving literacy and academic success and developing children emotionally, socially, and spiritually. - Virginia D. Jackson Home: A 12-month transitional housing program that provides unsheltered women with safe housing, counseling, and training on topics such as life skills, employment, and financial management. - MedBank: Helps uninsured and underinsured eligible patients access Patient Assistance Programs to obtain medications for chronic illness. - Welcome Home: A rapid rehousing program that provides rental assistance, counseling, and case management to help women and children experiencing homelessness regain permanent housing. - Circles in Columbus: An in-depth financial education program for families who are ready to move out of poverty by building financial resources, reducing debt, and developing employment and financial management skills. Building social capital is an essential component of the program. - Culinary Arts Institute: workforce development programs focused on helping participants secure living-wage jobs or launch a successful business in the culinary arts field. Poverty is complex and often generational. Recognizing this, Open Door offers families multiple layers of programming to help them establish strong, permanent foundations that support their transition out of poverty.