Throughout the year, Open Doors hosts or participates in special events that share our story and help raise funds to support the work we do every day.

Join us on April 23, 2026, at The Loading Dock in Stamford for an unforgettable evening celebrating hope, compassion, and community.

During these extreme cold temperatures, the unhoused population can also be a concern.

This week, Gov. Ned Lamont extended the state's Severe Cold Weather Protocol until Tuesday at 12 p.m. Resources like 211, provide extra support to those in need during the Severe Cold Weather Protocol.

Heart disease prevention was the focus of a community event held Tuesday by the Norwalk Health Department.

The department hosted a Know Your Numbers screening at the main branch of the Norwalk Library.

People were able to check blood pressure, blood sugar, body mass index and waist circumference.

Open Doors of Norwalk was still able to hold its annual holiday meal kit giveaway, despite Friday morning’s heavy rain and wind.

"It's important because you want to make sure the families have food at home to eat as well, as we ourselves as workers here have something to eat," …

Our 2024–2025 Annual Report offers a deep dive into the numbers behind Open Doors’ impact, covering July 2024 through June 2025 and highlighting how community support translated into real outcomes for those we serve.

Norwalk educators are connecting college students with resources to highlight Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

Connecticut State Community College hosted a resource fair on its Norwalk campus which was geared toward unhoused and food insecure students.

Our Fall/Winter newsletter highlights the people, programs, and partnerships creating real change in our community. Inside, you’ll find:

• Feeding 500: Students making a powerful impact

• Inside the Open Doors Kitchen

• Introducing MoneyWise
  

The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, or CHFA, announced the 2025 awardees of the Connecticut Housing Tax Contribution, or HTCC, on Friday.

The program is meant to increase housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income people and families throughout Connecticut.

Student leaders from Feeding 500, a youth-led initiative addressing hunger and homelessness, recently completed a weeklong internship with Open Doors, a Norwalk-based nonprofit that provides shelter, meals, and support services to individuals and families in crisis.

City officials, community leaders, and workforce trainees gathered Thursday at Cranbury Park to launch Norwalk’s Green Workforce Training Program, an innovative initiative that combines environmental stewardship with economic opportunity.

Our latest newsletter is here—full of stories, moments, and community impact made possible by supporters like you. Inside, you’ll find:

• James’ emotional journey from shelter to housing

• FactSet volunteers give back in a big way

• A look back at our annual Gala

Norwalk, along with most of Fairfield County, lacks affordable housing. Many factors contribute to high housing costs and the fact that most affordable housing is in the form of apartments despite the rapid construction of luxury units.

State Representative Travis Simms is pleased to announce the Community Investment Fund has recommended funding two vital Norwalk projects totaling $1.75 million.

Open Door Shelter, Inc., which Rep. Simms has personally championed, would receive $250,000 for its campus expansion project.

Before COVID, Open Doors’ annual food-buying budget came in at approximately $100,000, Conderino said. For this fiscal year, the nonprofit has budgeted $230,000 to buy food as part of its $889,300 operating costs, she said. And even that is offset with nearly $700,000 worth of donated food, she said.

Local news organizations in Portland, Maine, reported last week that the bodies of two men police identified as homeless were found frozen behind a Hannaford’s grocery store.

While over 250 miles away, state Rep. Kadeem Roberts, D-Norwalk, said tragedies like that in Portland show that homelessness affects everyone.

With a statewide severe cold weather protocol in effect, the executive director of the city’s emergency shelter said homeless service groups across Connecticut need resources, especially during the winter.

Michele Conderino, CEO at Open Doors, a Norwalk nonprofit that runs the city’s emergency shelter and provides wraparound services…

In the land of opportunity, where dreams are meant to thrive, an alarming reality lurks beneath the surface—a growing homelessness crisis that challenges our values and our humanity. Each night, over half a million Americans find themselves without a place to call home…

Open Doors, a nonprofit in Norwalk that provides hot meals and runs an emergency shelter, was true to its mission as it literally opened the doors to serve a sit-down holiday meal.

Staff and volunteers welcomed local residents on Monday afternoon to celebrate the Christmas and Hanukkah seasons with a hot meal.

Local officials, state representatives, and community leaders gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new affordable housing development spearheaded by Open Doors. The project, located at 24 Berkeley Street, will provide five three-bedroom, two-bathroom units with garages for families, addressing the critical need for deeply affordable housing in the area.

Ahead of the longest night of the year, Open Doors hosted a Homeless Persons’ Memorial service to celebrate the lives of unhoused people who have been lost in the past year.

The service was held outdoors Friday afternoon on the back lawn of the Norwalk nonprofit’s emergency shelter.