The Door

 Origins

For many years, Fairbanks lacked shelter for teens needing a safe place. Because of this, we began the construction of a brand new shelter building in 2012. It was a happy day in April 2014, when The Door, a 24/7 emergency shelter for youth finally opened. The Door is a Residential Child Care Facility with the State of Alaska. In 2025, The Door expanded services to provide shelter to youth ages 6-11.

Today

Located at 138 10th Avenue in Fairbanks, The Door provides kids aged 6-18 a safe place to sleep, home cooked meals, clothing, supplies, and connections to community resources to help youth find stability. We are licensed by the State of Alaska as an Emergency Shelter for runaway and homeless youth. We can house up to 12 kids. We serve nutritional meals that meet national guidelines and we are committed to promoting health in all its forms.

Where do our kids come from?

Youth come to us from throughout Alaska and they come for many different reasons. Some have families who are unable to care for them due to poverty, mental health issues, or personal struggles that make parenting especially difficult. Some youth are experiencing a personal crisis in the form of abuse, homeless, or mental health struggles of their own. These youth need extra support and guidance and a place to regain their footing.

Community

The journey of Fairbanks Youth Advocates and specifically The Door is largely a product of our generous Fairbanks and Interior community. Since our beginning, volunteers have served alongside paid staff at The Door to maintain the shelter programs, numerous groups have donated labor and skill in the development of our property, and donations from the community help us provide for the kids' immediate needs.

Thank you for sustaining our services. 

We wouldn't be able to do this without you!