About
What We Do
The DoorWay is a Christian ministry that equips youth, assists individuals struggling with addiction and their families, without discrimination, through prevention, intervention, counsel, training, and support programming.
Individuals are transformed through the inter-working of Christ to overcome their particular circumstances and transform their world. Youth are living out a vibrant relationship with Christ, committed to zero use of drugs and alcohol, abstaining from sex and other destructive behaviors, and actively changing their worlds. Families are restored and Christ-centered, providing homes that are a nurturing environment for children and a sanctuary for them to run to, and are serving as reproducible examples to families around them.
Addicts are transformed through a personal relationship with Christ to overcome their addiction and be restored: making restitution, becoming productive members of society, and being examples of God’s power to transform lives.
Who We Are
Joyce Erdner is the founder of The DoorWay. She has been married for over 50 years, has two kids who are both married, and three grandkids. Joyce’s dedication to making a change happened overnight. It was early in the morning on April 8, 1982, when the phone rang. Her best friend’s son had been killed in a drug related auto accident. She went to the Judge’s office and told them there was an epidemic, children were dying because of drugs. The Judge told her to make a plan, and so she did. With no prior training or education on the situation at hand, she set out to make a difference.
Our History
In 1982, Joyce Erdner became president of “Together With Youth,” an organization dedicated to fighting alcohol and other drug addictions among youth. Then, in 1991, C.T.R. Systems, Inc., generously donated a building to the organization, which their company had outgrown. The Avalon building, which now houses The DoorWay, was provided with the condition that the property be used to help give people a second chance.
Due to the size of the building, the amount of renovation needed before it could be opened to the public, and the cost of upkeep and maintenance, “Together With Youth” merged with “The DoorWay,” a street outreach program centered in Pittsburgh. The two organizations, reorganized under the name, “The DoorWay,” committed to work as partners to combine what each had done in the past in order to form a stronger and more effective organization.
Throughout its history, The DoorWay has made a positive difference in thousands of lives thanks to the concern and support of area churches, organizations, and private individuals.