The Door

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The Door

Providing safe shelter 24/7 for all youth 12-18
138 10th Ave, Fairbanks
(907) 374-5678

Need a place to stay tonight?

Are you age 12-18? Call 374-5678 or Text 371-9595 to learn more or get a ride.
Come to The Door, 138 10th Ave. Open 24/7.

What we provide

Safe shelter
Food
Clothing
Personal items
Resources
Caring people

About

 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.

Today

Located at 138 10th Avenue in Fairbanks, The Door provides kids aged 12-18 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 serious conflict with their parents, pregnancy, 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!

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The Door (@thedoorfbx) • Instagram photos and videos

The Door

Needed Items at The Door

We greatly appreciate all of your contributions, large or small

Kid Needs / Christmas list
  • Chargers
  • Charging Blocks
  • Underwear (all sizes)
  • Socks, Gloves, Hats, Jackets
  • Totes
  • Detergent
  • Clorox Wipes
  • Gift cards
  • Food & Pantry
  • Milk
  • Bottled Water
  • Meat (hamburger, chicken, sausage, hot dogs, etc.)
  • 100% fruit juice (orange, apple, grape, etc)
  • Individualized Snacks (Trail Mix, Crackers, Chips, Apple Sauce)
  • Canned Food
  • Cereal

Delivery

The Door at 138 10th Ave
Preferred drop off times are from 8am to 5pm, but our front door is always open and items can be placed just inside the door. If you have other items to donate, please:

 

Amazon Wishlist

If we are your preferred Amazon Smile agency, and you order through smile.amazon.com , it is a gift within a gift!

*Please note that occasionally donated goods are re-gifted to other local nonprofits, saved for our garage sale, or our Closet Door. We take all cash proceeds from these and purchase current needs. Thank you for understanding.

Thank you for thinking of us – especially during these crazy times.

 

What youth are saying

I like that the workers actually do their best to help us with whatever our needs might be. Also, they push us to strive for excellence by finding a job, going back to school, and just being a better person in general. They make sure we have food in our stomach, also providing us with clothes if we are in need of them. Most of all they make sure we are safe from harm's way.

—D, male, 19

When my mom threw me out, I didn't know where to go… I'm glad there's a place I can stay. I don't know where I'd be if I couldn't come here.

—W, male, 18

You come in and everyone is nice and its a good place to be. Everyone looks after each other. There's nowhere else for me to go—but, you know, there's nowhere else I want to go.

—T, female, 17

Frequently Asked Questions

1What will happen when I get there?
You'll be greeted at the door by a staff member. We'll sit down with you and ask you questions like:
- What is your name?
- How old are you?
- Who can we call in case of an emergency?
- Do you need a ride to school?
2What will I have access to?
- information about other resources in the community
- an area to hang out and read, study, play games, or talk
- clothes, personal items, and warm winter gear
3What can I do while I stay?
You may read, sleep, eat, shower, play games, or talk until lights out.
4What if I need a ride to school?
If you're in school, we'll arrange a ride for you.
Still have questions? Call us at 374-5678 or text 371-9595.

Stories from teens who stayed with us

M's Story - I stayed at the shelter off and on for awhile...
I stayed at the shelter off and on for awhile. I was living at home, but sometimes I struggle with depression and me and my mom don't get along so good during those times—so I stay here until we can work it out. Staying here means I can keep my job because I can get enough sleep. I try to encourage the younger guys because I know they need good role models. I try to help them stay sober and stay safe if they're not. The staff helps us maintain a well-balanced life, and give us words of wisdom so that we don't give up on ourselves. They help us as if we were one of their own. Being homeless makes you really depressed, but here we are not looked down upon, instead, we are helped so we can one day come out of this. I really appreciate the workers at the “Safe Place” that have helped me. Update: “M” now has an apartment, a good job, and his daughter is in his life now—an important piece that was missing for him.
A's Story - “A” would never spend the night at the Shelter...
“A” would never spend the night at the Shelter. The first week we saw him only a few times—he needed mittens, a warmer hat, and a place to thaw out. We got calls from other agencies describing someone like him—they were worried. “A lot of people care about you.” “Who?” he said. Every time he came by, we repeated, “People care about you.” Then we started seeing him twice a day—seeking food, clothing, and warmth. We let him know he was welcome to stay and offered him dinner. He recently stopped in to say he had reconnected with his mother. She bought him a plane ticket so he could go live with her. He told us, “Thank you for helping me when no one else would. God Bless you,” and he was out the door. Bless you, too, Sir. We pray for and wish you the best!
Kelly's Story - When I was 15, I got kicked out of home because I dropped out of school...
I started staying at the church (FYA temp shelter) last February. When I was 15, I got kicked out of home because I dropped out of school. My mom said, “you can't stay here if you're not in school.” Someone told me about the youth shelter. I didn't have anywhere else to go. I went back home a bit ago. I'm in school now, but that isn't why I went back—my mom and I worked things out. We get along so much better now—she thinks I'm the funniest person on the earth. Because I am! I really liked staying at the church. I kind of miss it sometimes, because I loved everyone that works there. But one of the best things about being home? Yeah, the bed is nice, but really its the company. It's really good to be back with my family. My mom is awesome. Words of wisdom? Stay in school!
Neal's Story - I didn't know where to go or what to do, so I went online and saw...
I left home in July. I was doing things I shouldn't have done, and so I got kicked out of my house. My Mom would've let me stay, but her landlord wouldn't. It was really hard. I didn't know where to go or what to do, so I went online and saw there were two shelters in Fairbanks—the Rescue Mission and Fairbanks Youth Advocates. I saw this one was geared to young people so I decided to come here. I was really overwhelmed because I didn't know anyone or anything, or what to do. I came in at 1 am and went straight to bed. In the morning, the other kids told me about SOAP and we went over there together, and I found out about other people who could help. I've been coming here since July—things are a lot better now. I took care of my court case and got food stamps. That helps a lot because before I had those I'd be so hungry I was stealing food from the store. No one wants to steal. I mean, no one wants to steal to eat. Now I don't have to. I've got everything I need now. I'm back in school at CEC now, and I can stay at my Mom's on weekends now, so things are getting better. I have friends here, and I don't have to worry about where I'm gonna stay. It's a lot better.
T's Story - He spends all our money on drugs, and then gets mad when he doesn't have anything left...
I left home in April. My dad had really changed. He used to take care of me—I was totally spoiled—but now he doesn't do anything, or seems to care anymore. He spends all our money on drugs, and then gets mad when he doesn't have anything left. He didn't use to do that. It's not my fault he spends all his money! He threw me out for good when I wouldn't give him my PFD. I wouldn't give him my birth certificate: I knew he would just take the money and blow it. After I left I walked around for a few days. I ended up at the hospital, sleeping in the waiting room. They saw me sleeping and told us about the shelter and called [Safe Place] for a ride. The lady dropped me off and said: “just ring the bell on the corner!” They were really nice. One staff especially—she was really there for me when I first started coming. At first, I didn't really know anyone or say much, but now it's like my family. You come in and everyone is nice and its a good place to be. Everyone looks after each other. I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. Here, I know I can go to school if I want to—they'll call a cab for me. My dad never cared if I went to school, but I really want to get my diploma. I know I can. Its hard to keep going to school when you don't have to, and sometimes I don't want to go. But I know the new shelter is gonna have requirements—you have to be working towards things and going to school and stuff. It means you have to do it if you want to stay there. I'm glad they'll push me. They'll help me graduate. Update, 9/2014—T. is back home with her Dad. He is taking good care of her, and she is still in school and overall in a very good place. Happy for her!
J's Story - She came to scope us out and see if it was safe for both her and her baby...
J came for just an hour the first time. Wary and not sure what to expect, she came to scope us out and see if it was safe for both her and her baby. The following visits to the shelter were similar—each night's stay was a little longer until finally, they overnighted. Recently, J showed up with a baby and asked for help connecting to community resources. A caring staff said, “This is important to you.” Jessica responded, “All my life I have never been wanted. This baby is going to know she is wanted.” We want the J's of our community to know they are wanted. Update: J has reconnected with family and has been able to find stable housing for her and her baby.
Brian's Story - I just went from place to place...
I'm from a small village. My mom committed suicide when I was four, and my dad was a drug dealer. She didn't want me living with him. So I just went from place to place. I've been on my own since I was nine and working since I was twelve. I've never really had a stable place to live, or parents or anything—I always moved around a lot, on different people's couches, with friends and family. A year and a half ago, I became really homeless. I couldn't get a job, and I got into using and selling hard drugs. Meth and heroin. After a few months, I went back to the village to sober up, and then I moved to Fairbanks to get away from all of that. I didn't have anywhere to go. I went to the Rescue Mission and they told me about this place for teens. I'm really glad this place is here. The staff are great and supportive and caring, they've helped me find resources to help, given me food and bus tokens—bus tokens make a big difference. The SOAP program is helping me get my GED and driver's license, and I stay every night at the safe place [FYA's Emergency Youth] shelter. My next goal is to get into college. Or to get an apprenticeship. I can't say enough how great it is that this place is here. Before the safe place opened—I was sleeping here and there, people's couches and camping and stuff. Now I have a place I can go every night while I work on getting things together.

Resources for parents

1Can I come in?
For the safety and confidentiality of ALL our youth, we don't allow those unauthorized to come in.
2What will happen when my child comes to you?
Youth are greeted at the door by a staff member. Upon arrival, they are asked some basic questions like:
- What is your name?
- How old are you?
- Who can we call in case of an emergency?
- Do you need a ride to school?
They will be shown the shelter space and assigned:
- a bed to sleep on, blankets, & bedding
- a metal school type locker and lock, hygiene items & towels
- a small tote for storage
3What do you provide?
We provide basic emergency shelter services that include a safe place to sleep and access to immediate needs. In addition, we are well connected with local agencies and programs and share those resources with the youth who seek our services.
4What do youth have access to?
- information about other resources in the community
- an area to hang out and read, play games, or talk
- clothes, personal items, and warm winter gear
5Is it safe?
Yes. Our staff are highly trained and used to dealing with a variety of circumstances. All volunteers and employees are approved by the State of Alaska, Dept. of Public Safety.
6What do I do if I think my child has come to the shelter? I want to talk to them!
We encourage youth—particularly those under 18—to contact their parents and let them know they are safe. If your child is a minor and they are staying with us we will call you within 48 hours (if they don't call you). You're welcome to call and leave messages for your youth. (907-374-5678) For everyone's safety, we don't confirm the names of the youth staying with us to those who call.

Youth may read, sleep, eat, shower, play games, or talk until lights out. Youth who can't sleep may do quiet activities.
Lights are shut off between 11 pm and midnight and turned on at 7 am to give youth plenty of time to sleep.

Youth attending school are provided transportation to their school at no cost.

Youth are served homemade healthy nutritious breakfasts, lunches and dinners. We also serve an after school snack as well as an evening snack prior to bed.

Other resources

You are having difficulty communicating with your teen. You fight about school, chores, friends, behavior. Maybe your child has run away—one in five teens will run away at some point in their life—they are threatening to run away, or they've run and have decided to return home. Maybe you're at your wit's end, and don't want to deal with the conflict anymore. Is your child threatening to run away?

Further reading

  • Signs your child might run.
  • Has your child run away? What to do now.
  • Has your child returned home after a runaway episode? Ways to handle the situation.

We encourage all parents who are struggling with difficult parenting situations like these to contact the National Runaway Switchboard at 1-800-RUNAWAY. They can help you help your teen—and yourself.

We also encourage parents in Fairbanks to contact the North Star Youth Court. They provide family mediation to help parents and teens work through their conflict in a safe, non-judgmental place.

Youth Homelessness

Invisibility

This short film, from the Reciprocity Foundation, details the lives and experiences of homeless youth and helps the viewer break their misunderstandings about homeless youth. We encourage you to watch.

What does it mean?

Many homeless teens move from couch to couch and from friend's house to friend's house. They might sleep in hallways, stairwells, cars, tents, and other places not meant for human habitation. They trade favors for places to stay and are often sexually exploited. They don't know where they're going to sleep each night.

But regardless of where they live, the shared experience of runaway and homeless youth is housing instability. They don't feel safe or welcome in their own homes, and though they may currently find shelter, it is not often permanent.

Homeless youth are not visible in the classic ways many perceive homelessness, i.e., sleeping on street corners, panhandling or passed out on a sidewalk. Because of their vulnerability, they hide, which is why they have been called an “invisible” homeless population.

National Youth Homelessness Statistics

 

How many are homeless?

  • Nationally, anywhere between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away from home each year.
  • Many runaway and homeless youth go unreported and unidentified.
  • Homeless youth are considered the “invisible homeless” because they are so difficult to locate and track.

Why Do They Leave?

  • Nearly half (48%) say they were thrown out of their homes.
  • Twenty-two percent describe the situation as both—some combination of running away and being thrown out.
  • Youth commonly describe a significant family conflict that led to the youth's departure.
  • Sometimes a parent has insisted the youth leave. Sometimes a parent may only indicate the youth should leave and the youth feels s/he has no choice.
    For LGBTQ youth, some parents can't accept their child's sexual orientation and throw them out of the house. Other face difficulties due to lack of acceptance within their families, which may lead them to run away.
  • Many youth leave home because of patterns of physical (46%) or sexual (38%) abuse, or ongoing substance abuse or mental illness in their parents. It feels safer to leave than to stay.

 

Learn more about youth at-risk

 

NISMART

National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Throwaway Children; This is the most thorough and recent study (1999) that we have to go by. This is the source that is most widely quoted regarding the numbers of homeless youth.

State of Homelessness in America—2012

Released every year by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, it details how homelessness is effecting communities across America.

Campaign to End Child Homelessness—Alaska Report, 2010

The Campaign's newly-released report on child homelessness in America. Alaska is 28th in the nation with 7,300 homeless children in 2010.

Alaska Justice Forum

A 2009 report on Homelessness in Alaska, compiled by the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness

The Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness is a statewide organization working to develop strategies to increase the availability of affordable housing and eliminate homelessness in our great state.

National Safe Place

Safe Place is a national youth outreach program that educates thousands of young people every year about the dangers of running away or trying to resolve difficult, threatening situations on their own. They create a network of “Safe Place locations”—that connect youth in crisis with those who can help.

The Annie E Casey Foundation

The primary mission of the Foundation is to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today's vulnerable children and families. In pursuit of this goal, the Foundation makes grants that help states, cities and neighborhoods fashion more innovative, cost-effective responses to these needs.

Kids Count Data Center

Kids Count tracks over 100 measures of child well-being, by state.

National Network for Youth

The National Network for Youth works with agencies serving homeless and runaway youth and connects them—and the kids they serve—with valuable resources.

Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Teaching Center

The RHYTTC serves as a resource for FYSB funded Runaway and Homeless Youth grantees. Training and Technical Assistance Services are directed at assisting RHY grantees to engage in continuous quality improvement of their services and to build their capacity to effectively serve runaway and homeless youth

National Runaway Switchboard

The National Runaway Switchboard is a 24-hour crisis line that helps connect runaway teens and their supporters with resources and information. 1-800-RUNAWAY

The Covenant House

The Covenant House Alaska is located in Anchorage, AK and has served thousands of teens since their opening in 1988. Their programs include an emergency shelter, transitional living, workforce development, and daytime community services.

National Center for Homeless Education

The legal definition of youth homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Act.