Programs and Services

Open Door Mission is one of Fort Collins' primary food charities, and donations toward that cause are always appreciated. ODM serves meals 3 times daily, with the exceptions being Saturdays and Sundays, when only breakfast and dinner are served.

We are one of your local food charities, and donations are needed! Please click here to view our kitchen's Wish List.

LONG OR SHORT TERM STAYS
    Open Door Mission offers temporary shelter for up to four Fridays. If an individual or family needs to stay longer, the client may go on to one of our Fresh Start programs.
    If a client chooses to stay out overnight during the four Fridays time period without special permission, he/she will not be allowed back in for six months.
    Chores are assigned at night and are completed between 6:00-7:00 a.m. the next morning. Clients must do their assigned chore: responsibility is imperative in all aspects of life at the shelter.
    An extension is available for those who have attained work but are not able to start right away. If the four Friday rule has expired, you must see Reverend Thebo for this.

FRESH START PROGRAMS
New beginnings are our main focus, so we call our intensive program Fresh Start. Clients are expected to find and keep a full-time job or part-time job that can work into a full-time one.

We provide three programs:

1. Christian - for those who choose to seek a Christian life, who see Christ as the only true and lasting way.
2. Secular - for those who choose not to participate in Christian programs, but who want to become a stable and productive member of society.
3. Family - a program specific to individual families, as the ways of helping them differ depending on their situation.

Senior citizens and the disabled are accepted on the program of their choosing, but obviously are not required to work outside.

More details on the Fresh Start Program can be found here.

Especially during periods of inclement weather--which can be severe in Northern Colorado--the Day Center fills an important gap in community services for the homeless by providing a refuge from the cold, a hot cup of coffee, and fellowship.

The Day Center opens at 8:00 a.m. It is open for socializing, TV, games, mail pickup, telephone use, showers, bathroom, and general relaxation until 4:45 p.m. daily.

A computer room is available for those who would like to brush up on skills or write resumes. Office supplies are available at the check-in desk. Workshops and counseling services are also available to the homeless. Credit counseling services, 12-step programs, and more take place at the Day Center.

Open Door Mission has a program for former inmates who have no place to go. Many times these people have made a commitment to change their lives, yet they find it very difficult to start back in the work force. Open Door Mission provides counseling and job assistance after incarceration. Colorado's ex-inmates, we believe, can become constructive citizens.

Everyone deserves a chance to overcome past mistakes. Statistics prove that when room and board are available to ex-inmates, the percentage of those who return to a life of crime is drastically reduced. These figures also decline when the individual is offered job assistance. After incarceration, Colorado ex-inmates have a home at Open Door Mission, where Reverend Thebo, working closely with the police, probation, and parole officers, has a proven record of assisting them back into the mainstream of society while maintaining a strong protective relationship with the community.

Absolutely no violent offenders or those who have been convicted of sex crimes are accepted. The safety of our young people is our primary concern.

All families have their own special needs and the ways of helping them differ accordingly. The Family Center can house five families at a time.

We provide assistance for one or both parents in obtaining employment, and families are offered counseling in areas such as parenting and personal budgeting. Homeless credit counseling services are also available, as are bus passes upon request.

The Fresh Start Program is designed to help individuals get back on their feet and become productive citizens. This program encourages participants to become self-sufficient by asking participants to do the following:

• Get a full-time job.
• Open a savings account.
• Abstain ABSOLUTELY from drinking, drugs, foul language, and bad tempers.
• Attend weekly 12-step meetings at Open Door.
• Share chores.
• Watch a Christian film once a week.
• Counsel one-on-one with Reverend Thebo once a week.

Brochures on the Fresh Start Program are available upon request.