A Long Journey: From Motels to Stable Homes
The only option for families in crisis in 1978.
The first property Doorways operated in 1979.
The new 21-bed home for homeless families built, owned, and operated by Doorways.
Please help us by sharing your memories, stories, and photos.
Throughout the year we will continue sharing highlights and stories of the past 30 years along with goals and plans for continuing to meet the growing needs of our community. Please help us fill in our timeline and further celebrate the last 30 years by sending your us recollections, stories and memories (and photos of you have them!) to Scott Perkins, Development Director at sperkins@doorwaysVA.org or at 703-522-8858.
30 years ago, a small group of concerned citizens put people seeking temporary shelter up for a night in a motel room. This small group, Doorways for Women and Families, has blossomed into an organization with a comprehensive set of programs and services that help women, children and families escape domestic violence and family homelessness and create and maintain safe and self-sufficient lives.
First dubbed the Arlington Community Temporary Shelter (ACTS), Doorways primarily provided a night or two of shelter to people with any type of housing crisis. When the need for shelter proved to be too vast to accommodate in motel rooms, the faith community came together and arranged for ACTS to rent its first home from St. George’s Episcopal Church for $100 per month.
Since that time ACTS, later called The Arlington Community Temporary Shelter (TACTS) and now named Doorways for Women and Families, has purchased two homes: one to shelter women and families fleeing domestic violence and one to shelter homeless families. Along with these two homes and a robust supportive housing program, Doorways has also developed support services tailored to each population.
Through years of working with women and families, many of the barriers preventing the creation and maintenance of safe and stable lives have been identified. Doorways has developed and implemented programs and obtained resources to help reduce or eliminate these barriers for our clients, such as financial literacy and children’s programs. These services, in conjunction with our shelters, have increased the hope, opportunity and chance for success of thousands of people accessing Doorways’ support. They have also provided a successful working model for charities looking to improve their response to homelessness and domestic violence.
Looking forward, Doorways’ shelters and strong programs, honed over the past 30 years, position us well to continue meeting the needs of the most vulnerable in our community.
To see Doorways Success Stories click here.