Our Mission
Our mission is to reduce generational poverty in Santa Clara County. We do so by educating and connecting low-income families, seniors, veterans, and the homeless to vital safety net services in Santa Clara County and in the heart of downtown San Jose. Opening Doors 2020 is a California 501c3 nonprofit.
Contact Us
Some of Our Community Friends
Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson Center, Catholic Charities, NAMI, Midtown Family Services, Salvation Arrmy, LifeMoves, HomeFirst, Social Security Administration, EPATH, Firstasia, Gardner Medical, Grace Solutions, Mary Dowd, Downtown Streets Team, The Winterfaith Collaborative, Recovery Café, Peninsula Family Services, Project Hire/Route 22, Roots Community Services, Stand Up for Kids, Santa Clara County Opioid Overdose Prevention Program, Santa County Districts Attorneys Office, Pheonix Data Center of SCC, Second Harvest and many more.
Accomplishments
- Increased awareness of the downtown corridor at-risk family populations and throughout Santa Clara County
- Helped to refocus the way the City of San Jose and Santa Clara County now address homeless families and homeless individual meal services
- Established a new downtown community resource center where vulnerable populations can receive immediate safety net services and referrals
- Created a network of nonprofit provider participation at social cause community forums and workshops
Some of Our Friends in Government
City of San Jose, City of San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, SJPD, Santa Clara County Sheriffs Dept, Councilmember Raul Peralez, Councilmember Johnny Khamis, Supervisor Dave Cortese, Supervisor Joe Simitian, Assemblymember Ash Kalra, Assemblymember Kansen Chu, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, and Congressman Ro Khanna. City of San Jose Housing Department, City of San Jose Parks and Recreation, County of Santa Clara HMIS, Santa Clara Valley Water District Richard Santos, and many more.
Volunteer to Serve Lunch
VOLUNTEER TO SERVE LUNCH to the homeless through our NEW downtown meals program in partnership with the City of San Jose. We are seeking individuals, groups, students, faith-based groups, clubs, companies, and other nonprofits to serve lunch to the downtown homeless every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday during the lunch hour.
SIGN-UP HERE
Just Some of Our Work
Meals without Borders is an emergency meal service network. The platform is designed to connect more low income households, homeless and volunteers to coordinated free lunch meal sites in high poverty impacted communities in the City of San Jose and the surrounding communities.
“Great job!” Office of Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17)
“Please let us know how we can help” Office of Assembly Member Ash Kalra 27th Assembly District
“Sign us up!” Comunidad Cristiana
“We would be happy to be listed in your resource listing.” Front Door Communities/Lifted Spirits
Core Services
Emergency Rental/Deposit assistance for families, seniors, veterans, and homeless
Housing location services & referrals
Senior support services & referrals
Emergency meal services
Community workshops and Social Cause Events
Veteran Support Referrals
Teen Summer Programming
Upcoming Roundtable
Topic: TENT CITIES IN SILICON VALLEY
Homeless encampments: practices, contexts, policies
A presentation by Christopher Herring
When: Thursday, 5/2/2019
Where: Community Meeting @ Tully Road Library
Time: 11am-1pm
In Review:
Over the past 15 years US cities have witnessed a resurgence of large durable homeless encampments, commonly called tent cities. While the policies leading to the emergence of homeless tent cities are largely similar across localities, the actions taken by communities and local governments in response to their persistence have varied widely, from contestation, toleration, and legalization. Drawing on interviews with city officials, homeless advocates, service providers, and homeless campers in over a dozen west-coast municipalities with tent cities, this talk will explain the roots and implications of homeless tent cities and provide lessons for Silicon Valley as it copes with its own homeless encampments.
Chris Herring is a doctoral candidate of Sociology at the University of California Berkeley. His research focuses on the production and regulation of poverty and housing in US cities. Chris’ work has been featured in academic and popular publications of sociology, geography, anthropology, social movements, film, planning, architecture, community-based research, and urban studies. His research, writing, and teaching embraces the ideals of public sociology and he has collaborated with the National Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness, Anti-Eviction Mapping Project, and Western Regional Advocacy Project in conducting research and community organizing efforts. His work can be found at chrisherring.org.
