Doorways' Community Services Center Ribbon-Cutting and Open House

It was a bright, sunny morning as we welcomed more than 60 guests into our new Community Services Center (CSC) on Friday, April 5th. Many Doorways staff were onsite to provide guided tours of the trauma-informed space and share about their work and backgrounds.

Michelle Sagatov, President of Doorways’ Board of Directors, welcomed everyone into the new Center and thanked our community for always being so supportive of our work and mission. As she introduced Diana Ortiz, President and CEO of Doorways since 2021, Michelle shared that Diana had first been with Doorways from 2009 to 2018, and that although she left to pursue other ventures for time, “once you have Doorways in your heart, it’s there forever.”

Diana Ortiz thanked everyone, and especially Amazon, Washington Workplace, and the Garrett Group for their support in making the Center a beautiful and functional reality. The space has been intentionally designed with features that help protect the safety and confidentiality of both clients and staff. Diana also reiterated that the need for Doorways has continued to grow over the past 5 years, and that is a leading reason for creating this new Center.

Kate Bates, President and CEO of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, also spoke, saying that nonprofits like Doorways are a valuable part of the Arlington community, helping to make Arlington a great place to live, work, and play.

Diana welcomed Michelle, along with Melissa Kenney (Doorways Chief Operations Officer) and Virginia Dominguez (Revive Counseling Manager), to officially cut the purple ribbon and mark the opening of our new Center.

Special thanks also to volunteers from Elevation Church who helped greet and guide our guests. We appreciate you!