2022 Marks The Door’s 50th Year
The vision for The Door began in response to the rising rates of disconnection and disaffection in New York City. A small group of 12 professionals- medical providers, psychiatrists, lawyers, educators, social workers, and artists- came together to express concern about what they saw as a crisis in adolescent health and mental health in the city.
Together, this dynamic and creative group set out to design a model project, a welcoming space for adolescents with integrated services. At the start, there was no money, no space, no equipment or staff, only a group of deeply concerned volunteers. In 1972, the doors of a small space on East 12th Street were opened.
Now, in 2022, 50 years from its inception, The Door stands strong, an innovative community with nearly 300 employees, 60,000 square feet of comprehensive program space in SoHo, two supportive housing sites, and a satellite in the South Bronx. Through enormous social upheaval and change, breathtaking advances, and extraordinary challenges, The Door continues to be a beacon for NYC youth. Young people know that they can come as they are, and that they can count on finding community, care, support, and encouragement.
We are so excited to celebrate this incredible journey and the phenomenal people who have shared their passions, their time, their resources, and themselves with The Door over the last 50 years.