about us
about open door community
Our Mission
Open Door Community breaks generational poverty through enhanced food security and housing affordability
Our Vision
A community where disadvantaged/low wealth households have become empowered with new skills and tools
Our Values
Our core values are the fundamental principles which guide and inform everyday operations, decisions, and interactions.
- Compassion
- Respect
- Empowerment through education
- Triple bottom line – human (staff), fiscal (stewardship), and natural (place) capital
- Innovation
- Reflective – a generative, evaluative, learning community
Our History
Helping Overcome Poverty’s Existence, Inc. (HOPE) was incorporated in 1993 with a primary mission of fulfilling the challenge of its name – to reduce the conditions contributing to poverty in southwest Virginia. Mountain Shelter, Inc. (MSI) was incorporated in 1992 with a primary mission of enabling lower income and disadvantaged families to achieve solutions for sustaining affordable housing. In July 2007, HOPE and MSI merged into one entity and maintained the name HOPE, Inc. A vision to bring about new and creative delivery of services was adopted resulting in a bigger impact on clients and local communities.
1999
First Multi-Family Project Approved
Southridge with Wytheville Redevelopment Housing Authority using Low Income Housing Tax Credits for 20 units
2001
Southridge Opens
12, 1-BR units in renovated motel and 8, 2-BR homes
2002
NIMBY
Resistance in development of Pepper Commons in downtown Rural Retreat
2002-03
Hope Ministry Center
Consolidated services for 7 human service agencies under one roof
2003-05
Deerfield
32-units, high density project NIMBYied as LIHTC; restructured as single family subdivision
2006
First Group Home
Construction of a 4-BR group home, leased to MRCS
2007
Merger
Merger of Mountain Shelter into HOPE; Ex. Dir. participation in Harvard KSG Achieving Excellence program
2009
Hillcrest
Purchase of REO Hillcrest Apartments, Hillsville
2010
Long Meadows
First swing at acquisition of Long Meadows subdivision with CDBG, then successfully with Fahe and Housing Assistance Council SHOP funding
2012
New Capacity
First AmeriCorps VISTA; fiscal agent for Community Food Kitchen and Little Maroon Packs, Wythe-Bland Foundation support for community bookkeeping
2013
Hillcrest Renovated
Closing on Hillcrest permanent financing (HOME and VH REACH) after renovation of 14 units
2016
Capital Injection
First funding approved for permanent food kitchen; 2, 4-BR group homes for IDD population
2018
Open Door Café
Opens in November after $700,000 grant-funded renovation
2018
VHDA Grant
Community Improvement Grant through Va Housing to preserve affordability of our Long Meadows subdivision
2020
Major Gift Received
New roofs and HVAC, Covid pandemic response tripling of service budget
2022
Housing Portfolio
Acquisition of town homes in Galax and Marion; surpassed $5 million total assets. Closed with Landmark on FHLB A AHP $500k deferred investment on $9m Woodlawn School LIHTC renovation of 54-units in Carroll County
