How we work

THE DOORWAY is a human process, not a program. Engaged citizens participate with and respond to young people whose lives have taken them to the street for their survival, and who are now seeking a way to integrate back into society.

Learning a different culture
Getting off the street and moving into mainstream society is like moving to a new country. Assimilating a new culture requires the individual to learn skills and make choices that help them find a place within this environment. A new set of cultural cues must be learned and old ones discarded – language, actions and attitudes. The cultural cues of the street do not work effectively in mainstream society.

Life on the street and street culture are like any other cultural experience. Through cultural learning, young people adapt to survive in whatever situations life brings them.

At THE DOORWAY, the movement from street to mainstream is managed by a step-by-step contracting process, shared by the individual and Doorway volunteers. This business planning approach offers a way to think and problem solve personal change.

THE DOORWAY environment
THE DOORWAY is strategically located outside of the downtown core. For young people to take advantage of the facility, they are required to leave the street environment and travel to a destination – a subtle, but effective means of removing them from the street environment and exposing them to another culture, one that provides a welcome change from the street.

THE DOORWAY operates in a casual business environment, minimizing culture shock and increasing the comfort level for the young people who have made the journey to the office. We provide computer workstations, phones, fax and Internet access to young people who are in the business of building a new life.