"Treating Everyone
as a Person"
-Operations Manager

Open Doors began in 2007 as Harrisonburg and Rockingham Thermal Shelter (HARTS). Since day one, we have been a community-driven organization. Founded by the Interfaith Association after a cold weather injury, we maintain deep roots in the faith community, and remain committed to serving our neighbors.

The Navigation Center is the facility where Open Doors provides our services. The project is a dynamic public-private partnership between the City of Harrisonburg and Open Doors. While the Navigation Center is owned by the City, Open Doors maintains full operational control of the programming that takes place at the Center, and remains an independent 501(c)(3) (Public Charity · EIN 11-3835381).

Tours of the Navigation Center are available by appointment only*. If you would like to schedule a tour, please complete the contact form -- found here -- and a member of our team will be in touch shortly. We are excited to share the Navigation Center with you! *For the protection of our guests, tours are generally provided when the shelter program is not active. Thank you for your understanding.

Open Doors provides emergency low-barrier shelter for adults, case management for shelter participants, plus we have organized holistic support services through community partnerships. Not unhoused? Open Doors provides select support services as a strategy for intervention prior to or during hardship. Our resource navigation services are extended to the community at-large regardless of housing status. We have organized onsite healthcare, peer support, and more! View our services page for the full offering. Open Doors' goal is to support the unhoused as well as those experiencing other hardship in our community.

Low-barrier services are those in which the entry criteria (eligibility) are kept minimal to increase service attainment. Our low-barrier approach makes our services in great demand and positions us to serve anyone in need. A common misconception is that the low-barrier philosophy is "enabling," but it actually allows individuals the chance to stabilize and focus on long-term success. Low-barrier saves lives.

Many people assume that Open Doors is primarily funded through government because of our partnership with the City of Harrisonburg—but that’s not the case. In reality, we rely on the generosity of individuals, faith communities, local businesses, and supporters like you to mobilize our life-saving, life-changing work. With as little as $8 a month supporters sponsor beds for our guests. We receive zero funding from state or federal sources, and less than 25% of our annual budget comes from local government. The rest? It comes from our community. Your support makes our mission possible.