ANNUAL REPORT 2020
A message from our Board President
WE DON’T SHY AWAY FROM THE CHALLENGES FACING THE YOUNG PEOPLE WE SERVE
Dear Friends,
Thank you for standing with The Door and Broome Street Academy in 2020, one of the most challenging years in our history.
In March, COVID-19 and the economic and unemployment crises that followed triggered cascading challenges for the young people we serve.
Later in the spring, the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery galvanized the most sustained uprising for racial justice in American history, all of which hit close to home for our community, deepening the extent to which this year was also meaningfully a mental health crisis.
While on the eve of the pandemic we were primed to build on 2019 in terms of young people served, and planned to expand our footprint substantially, we’ve instead needed to navigate a situation that made the in-person services that are fundamental to our model almost impossible.
In response, our teams have made extraordinary efforts to connect our members to the resources, benefits, and opportunities they need to survive this crisis and thrive once it is in the rearview.
This has generated important changes in how we operate, many of which we’ll keep as we move forward.
A few examples:
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- From April through December 2020, our Adolescent Health Center averaged 600 telehealth visits per month, although we had never done one prior to March.
- Our Membership process is now entirely virtual, which allows us to connect young people who are unable to come to our facility with services when possible.
- Our Programming team created a Text Line to engage directly with young people across social distance – facilitating 1,377 conversations and counting.
While this year was difficult, and our hallways were far too quiet, I was never prouder to lead The Door. As our new CEO Kelsey Louie comes onboard, I am confident it will continue to meet every challenge with spirit and courage.
The Door and BSA exemplify what is possible when our society chooses to invest in people who face discrimination. We’ve worked in partnership with NYC youth to navigate injustice and inequality while fighting their root causes since 1972.
We couldn’t do it without you.
In gratitude,
Marc DeBevoise
President of The Door’s Board
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While many programs transitioned to fully remote or hybrid schedules, young people maintain access to some in-person services.
Since April 2020, our Adolescent Health Center has seen patients in person by appointment when issues can’t be addressed via telehealth.
Ravell Jones, our Coordinator of Youth Engagement, led efforts to stay connected with young people in a time of profound isolation for many New Yorkers.
How We’re Different
It’s all here
Our integrated approach is unique and effective. Young people come to us for a wide variety of reasons, and we welcome them with a range of services and a holistic approach. If we don’t have what that young person needs, we will find it.
ADOLESCENT HEALTH CENTER
ADOLESCENT HEALTH CENTER
Our on-site Federally Qualified clinic provides comprehensive services for youth, including family planning and reproductive health care, primary health care, dermatology, vision, dental, STD testing and treatment, HIV/AIDS prevention and intervention services, and health education workshops.
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CAREER & EDUCATION SERVICES
CAREER & EDUCATION SERVICES
We help young people achieve long term self-sufficiency by preparing them for success in college and/or the workforce through integrated education and sector-specific career training. We also partner with companies committed to developing long-term workforces to place young people in talent pipelines.
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HOMELESS YOUTH & SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
HOMELESS YOUTH & SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
Young people experiencing homelessness or housing instability come to The Door to meet basic needs (laundry, shelf-stable food, showers, clothing, hygiene supplies) and connect with resources including housing, healthcare, and pathways to longer-term support.
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ARTS, NUTRITION, & RECREATION
ARTS, NUTRITION, & RECREATION
Arts program participants benefit from partnerships with the Whitney, Carnegie Hall and Roundabout Theater. Members can also receive culinary arts training for a career in the food industry and receive hands-on practice by serving three free nutritious meals a day to their peers at The Door.
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LEGAL SERVICES CENTER
LEGAL SERVICES CENTER
Young people receive free legal representation and support in all civil legal matters, with a specialization in immigration law (helping undocumented youth obtain legal status).
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SATELLITE LOCATIONS
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SATELLITE LOCATIONS
Bronx Youth Center
Our first outer borough outpost, focused on Career & Education programming, makes accessing our services much more convenient for the Bronx residents who come to The Door – about 29% of our participants last year.
The Lee & East 9th
We operate 95 units of supportive housing in two buildings staffed 24/7, reserved for young people with a history of housing instability and persistent mental illness. Residents access many of our services on-site.
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BROOME STREET ACADEMY
The New York Times calls BSA
“[A Model] for Coping in the Pandemic”
A ONE-OF-A-KIND, TUITION-FREE CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL THAT LIVES INSIDE THE DOOR.
BSA engages approximately 330 students with an experienced team of educators implementing a rigorous academic curriculum, integrated opportunities for community service and mentorship, and comprehensive wrap-around support enabled by a unique partnership with The Door.
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88%
Graduation Rate
NYC Rate is 78.8%
10:1
Studen:Teacher Ratio
Public School Average Is 13:1
at bsa, we put the student’s success at the center:
- All students have access to every service offered downstairs at The Door.
- Each student has their own staff mentor who checks in with them regularly and keeps them motivated on their path to success after graduation.
- Students with learning disabilities are fully integrated into our classrooms where they can benefit from peer-to-peer learning and develop the kind of friendships that last a lifetime.
- BSA students can access 8 AP classes, free SAT prep classes, three nutritious meals a day, and more.
at bsa, we put the student’s success at the center:
-
- All students have access to every service offered downstairs at The Door.
- Each student has their own staff mentor who checks in with them regularly and keeps them motivated on their path to success after graduation.
- Students with learning disabilities are fully integrated into our classrooms where they can benefit from peer-to-peer learning and develop the kind of friendships that last a lifetime.
- BSA students can access 8 AP classes, free SAT prep classes, three nutritious meals a day, and more.


Melissa Silberman
Head of School
Standing With Our Community
BLACK LIVES MATTER
Black young people who come to The Door continue to withstand the forces of systemic racism, police brutality, and bias. In our city and in our nation, COVID-19, state violence, and carceral systems all disproportionately impact Black people. We stood in solidarity with all who protested for Black Lives this summer, supporting our staff and members as they exercised their right to dissent.
The Door seeks to create space where our members are inspired to use their voices and shape a future free of injustice and inequality.
Young people have opportunities for connection, action, and healing in a context where systemic racism is acknowledged and reflected upon, and where they can exchange ideas and experiences relating to equity and inclusivity.
We hold our organization and ourselves accountable to act against anti-Blackness and every other form of discrimination and to build more justice and equity in all aspects of our work. The Door stands with Black communities to demand that unequal, unjust, and lethal systems be dismantled.
WE MEET YOUNG PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE. When we’re able to be in our facility, our members are encouraged to move through the space, access programming, and pursue their goals as they are interested and ready.


Dr. Michelle Elliott
Physician
Adolescent Health Center


SUNNY RANGRAJ
Assistant Director of Food and Wellness Programs


SUSAN HASKELL
Deputy Commissioner for Youth Services at New York City’s Department of Youth & Community Development
(DYCD)


EMILY
Door Member
Spotlight on the
LEGAL SERVICES
Our Legal Services Center worked with 1517 clients in 2020; a 38% increase over 2019, even as the pandemic added layers of complexity to every case.
IN 2020, THE DOOR HELPED
144
YOUNG PEOPLE OBTAIN THEIR GREEN CARDS
The Door client Isabel N. Receiving her Green Card
IN MAY, THE DOOR’S DETAINED MINORS PROJECT TOOK SWIFT ACTION TO PREVENT THE ELEVENTH-HOUR DEPORTATION OF ONE OF OUR CLIENTS, “MARIA,” A TEENAGE GIRL FROM HONDURAS – AN EPISODE COVERED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, MSNBC, AND THE NEW YORKER.
Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) set Maria’s deportation in motion despite claiming to have suspended most immigration raids during the pandemic lockdown; the case demonstrates the lengths to which The Door’s lawyers will go to advocate for their clients.
The Door represents any children held in four detention centers in the New York City metro area – which means we may represent up to 300 detained minors at any given time.
“What happened to me that night seemed unjust, after all I’d been through. I never thought an official would come to tell me that I was going to be deported, at 3 AM. As a minor, I assumed that I’d be treated differently. If it’s hard to be deported as an adult, imagine how hard it is to be deported as a child. And I was alone, in the sense of not having family or anyone nearby, here in New York. It was really terrible and sad. But thanks to God and the lawyers and also the directors of the facility where I was staying, I’m still here.”
MARIA Client, The Door’s Legal Services Center
FY20
FINANCIAL REPORT
How We’re Funded


How Our Budget Breaks Down by Program:


Our Budget Primarily Funds Programming:


Our Donors
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS
When you stand with The Door, you’re standing for a New York City where difference is celebrated, and every young person is empowered to reach their full potential.
The Donors listed made gifts to The Door and Broome Street Academy during the 2020 fiscal year: July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020.
PRIVATE FUNDERS
GOVERNMENT FUNDERS
- District Attorney of New York County
- New York City Council
- NYC Administration for Children’s Services
- NYC Department for the Aging
- NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
- NYC Department of Education
- NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
- NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
- NYC Department of Youth and Community Development
- NYS Council on the Arts
- NYS Department of Health
- NYS Education Department
- NYS Office for the Aging
- NYS Office of Children and Family Services
- NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
- NYS Office of the Attorney General
- The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City
- US Department of Agriculture
- US Department of Education
- US Department of Health and Human Services
- US Federal Emergency Management Assistance
- US National Endowment for the Arts
- NYC Department of Youth and Community Development
- NYS Council on the Arts
- NYS Department of Health
- NYS Education Department
- NYS Office for the Aging
- NYS Office of Children and Family Services
- NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
- NYS Office of the Attorney General
- The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City
- US Department of Agriculture
- US Department of Education
- US Department of Health and Human Services
- US Federal Emergency Management Assistance
- US National Endowment for the Arts
- The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City
- US Department of Agriculture
- US Department of Education
- US Department of Health and Human Services
- US Federal Emergency Management Assistance
- US National Endowment for the Arts
WITH YOUR SUPPORT,
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
Your support ensures that we’ll always be open to the people who need us most. Your partnership is the reason more than 11,000 young adults and teens are able to access resources and opportunities that empower them to lead successful lives. This report is a snapshot of the integrated, effective work you make possible every day.
THE DOOR Board of Directors
Marc. N. DeBevoise
President
Hunter Philbrick
Treasurer
Secretary
Vice President of Development
Sarah Marie Martin
Mónica de la Torre
Nora Abousteit
Maya Browne
Benfamin Felt
Hollis Forbes
Leslie Gruss
Bethany Menzies
Susan Notkin
David Shapiro
Kelly Stevens
M. David Zurndorfer
BROOME STREET ACADEMY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
M. David Zurndorfer
President
Mónica de la Torre
Vice President
Noah Leff
Secretary
Cathy Aquila
Secretary
Katie Jaxheimer Agarwal
Vanda Belusic-Vollor
Lauren Blum
Stephanie Durden Barfield
Herb Elish
Jeffrey Katzin
Marlene Nadel
Joaquin Pichardo
John Quinn
Gail Schargel
Elaine Schott