Open Door Youth Services

10/23/2026

Keeping our pantry and refrigerators stocked is a big part of caring for the youth who stay at Open Door. From daily meals to after-school snacks, we go through quite a bit of food! Thanks to a $5,000 Community Assist Grant from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, we have additional funding to help keep our shelves stocked and our kids fed.

We're grateful for the Foundation's continued support and for helping us meet the everyday needs of the young people in our care! 💚

10/22/2026

We want to thank our friends at Hope Southern Indiana and their food pantry for continuing to help keep our shelter stocked with fresh, healthy food! Feeding a shelter full of growing kids is no small task, and community partners like Hope Southern Indiana make a real difference. Their generosity helps us provide nutritious meals and snacks for the youth staying with us, making sure they have access to the food they need each day.

We're so grateful for their continued support and willingness to help whenever we need it. They truly are a blessing to Open Door and the kids we serve! 💚

10/21/2026

We’re looking for a dependable, compassionate professional to join our team as a Youth Counselor (2nd Shift)! This part-time evening position runs from 4 PM to 12 AM and plays an important role in supporting the youth in our care. Youth Counselors act as mentors and work directly with residents, helping guide daily routines, build life skills, and create a safe, supportive environment where youth can grow and thrive. Responsibilities include supervising residents, assisting with independent living skills, supporting daily activities and outings, completing documentation, and being a positive, consistent presence for the youth we serve.

If you’re looking for experience in the field and want to make a real difference, we’d love to hear from you. Learn more and apply through the link in the comments.

10/20/2026

Our kids in the shelter are taking their stair-climbing challenge to new heights! After challenging themselves to climb the equivalent of the Empire State Building, they've now set their sights on a much bigger goal: 44,000 steps to conquer Mount Everest! Each step adds to their team total, and for every 2,000 steps completed, they get to color in another section of the mountain. If they reach the summit by October 31, they'll celebrate with a nacho and taco bar! 🌮

A big shoutout to our practicum student, Laurel, for continuing to come up with creative ways to keep our kids active and engaged! What started as a fun way to use our new stair climber has turned into an opportunity for friendly competition and a little extra motivation to get moving.

Think they can make it to the top by Halloween? 💚

10/13/2026

Prevention starts with education, and it's never too early to teach kids about personal safety! Through our Think First & Stay Safe program, we help students understand personal boundaries, recognize the difference between safe and unsafe touch, identify trusted adults, and know that it's okay to speak up when something doesn't feel right.

In Indiana, 14% of high school students reported experiencing sexual violence in the past year, according to an Indiana Youth Risk Behavior Survey. That's why teaching children about personal boundaries, safe and unsafe touch, and speaking up when something doesn't feel right is so important.

A big thank you to Hazelwood Middle School for welcoming us into your school over the past two days! We're grateful for the opportunity to help students build skills that can keep them safe, both now and as they grow!

Thank you so much to Open Door Youth Services for leading our Think First & Stay Safe presentations over the last two days.

10/12/2026

A big thank you to Kentucky Harvest and Messer Construction for helping provide Thanksgiving turkeys for the kids at Open Door! Kentucky Harvest has been a wonderful supporter of our shelter over the years, helping us make sure our kids can enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal, even when they’re away from home. We’re grateful for their continued generosity and for everyone who participated in this year’s golf outing! 💚

10/07/2026

We’re grateful to the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana for their continued investment in the youth we serve! This $5,000 Community Assist Grant will help us provide meals for youth staying in our Residential, Emergency Shelter, and Runaway & Homeless Youth Programs. Thank you for helping us make sure the young people who come through our doors have their basic needs met while learning skills they can carry with them into the future!

Sometimes, making a difference starts with something as simple as a meal.

Our next $5,000 Competitive Grant is going to Friends of Open Door Youth Services to help provide food for young people in its Residential, Emergency Shelter, and Runaway & Homeless Youth Programs.

But there’s more happening around the table than meeting an immediate need. Through nutrition groups and hands-on experience, young people learn about healthy eating, meal planning, cooking, and food preparation – everyday skills that can help them build greater independence.

The program expects to serve approximately 125 youth, making sure they have access to nutritious meals, supportive routines and opportunities to learn along the way.

We’re proud to help Open Door continue creating a safe and supportive environment for young people in our community.

That’s recipient No. 2 – with three more still to come!

10/06/2026

Today we’re celebrating our Case Manager, Ms. Kara, on 16 years at Open Door! Over the years, Kara has been there for thousands of youth who have walked through our doors, helping them navigate some of the toughest moments in their lives. As our Case Manager, she works closely with our kids and the many people involved in their care to make sure they have the support they need while they’re with us and as they take their next steps. After 16 years, Kara brings a ton of experience and knowledge to our team, but more importantly, she continues to bring patience and a genuine commitment to the kids we serve every day.

Kara, thank you for 16 years of showing up for our youth, supporting our team, and being such an important part of Open Door. We’re incredibly grateful for everything you’ve given to our organization over the years!

Help us congratulate Kara on 16 years at Open Door! 🎉

10/01/2026

We’re set up and ready for some trick-or-treaters! 🎃 Come out to Community Action of So. Indiana’s Trick or Treat Resource Event tonight from 6–7:30 PM in Jeffersonville! Stop by the Open Door table, say hi, learn a little about what we do, and grab some candy while you’re here! 👻

📍 201 E. 15th St., Jeffersonville

09/29/2026

Shoutout to our practicum student, Laurel, for finding a creative way to get our kids moving! 👏 After our new stair stepper arrived, Laurel created a challenge for our kids to see if they could collectively climb the equivalent of the Empire State Building. Each week, they can participate by logging their steps, adding them to the group total, and working their way toward the top. And, of course, there are a few prizes along the way! Opportunities to stay active can be limited for youth while they’re staying in a shelter. They may not be able to head to the gym, participate in their usual sports, or have the same access to recreation they would otherwise. Having exercise equipment right here at Open Door gives our kids another healthy outlet to move, relieve stress, and take care of themselves on their own time.

A big thank you to WHAS Crusade for Children for providing the funding that made our new exercise equipment possible, and to Laurel for turning it into something fun that our kids can do together.