Erling Thunberg - The Door

The Door, NYC - 1972

"Love is action, not idea or mentation that is what frees us. Where there is freedom from beliefs and images there is simplicity and love generous, forgiving, compassionate."

The Door

In 1969 and 1970 a group of young professional began working at the International Center for Integrative Studies (ICIS), attracted by the integrative and multidisciplinary concepts of ICIS. In particular they were deeply concerned about the acute crisis affecting a broad segment of Americas urban adolescent population. After intensive exploration with Erling Thunberg they concluded that the life needs of urban youth could only be met by a new approach to youth services.

This group of young professionals came from the fields of medicine, psychiatry, law, education, social work, nursing and the arts. They set out to develop a program that could be a model and offer young people relevant services, programs and meaningful life alternatives in an environment that allowed them to fully develop their own human potential and creativity.

"New Peoples Meetings" were organized and held weekly for persons who had an interest in new ways of providing services to inner city young people. During these orientation sessions, Erling Thunberg and the projects development team explored the ideas and concepts underlying ICIS and the Door. The meetings attracted other concerned professionals who were motivated to try something different and who had a capacity for creative teamwork, and many joined the initial development team. Retreats in the mountains of upstate New York deepened the interest of many of the participants who began to understand that they were invited to enter into their own human growth process as well as nurturing it in the young people they planned to serve.

At the beginning there was no financial support, no space or equipment, nor paid staff only a group of deeply concerned volunteers. Task forces were formed and met regularly to explore and plan the various service elements in health, mental health, substance abuse, law, family planning, social services, education, vocation and the creative arts. A working relationship and a network with more than 100 other youth agencies, hospitals and other institutions was established.

A free store front facility was offered by another program in Greenwich Village and more than 50 volunteers undertook necessary renovations and built examination rooms, a small laboratory and pharmacy. In January, 1972, The Door opened and with an entirely volunteer staff and no funding began to provide free services to youth from throughout the city. Erlings quiet presence provided support, guidance and reality checks and was an important anchor for young people and staff alike and it continued to ensure that the inner purpose of The Door to be a center of growth and change for all who were there remained steady.

Cocoyoc, Mexico - 1972

After a significant grant from the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) and later other funding sources, The Door was able to move to its own greatly expanded facility on the Avenue of the Americas at 18th Street in New York City in 1975. In both program and design, the new facility was a breakthrough initiative. The physical setting was from the first seen as an important part of The Doors integrative and growth oriented philosophy. Towards this end Erling and a team of staff worked, in collaboration with architects, to design an innovative environment that reflected the idea that the physical facility itself should have a therapeutic impact. Unrestricted use of large open spaces, bright colors, use of rock gardens, wall hangings, photos and graphics many created by The Doors young clients created a unique setting. Constant visual contact with other young people countered the sense of isolation so often experienced in more traditional settings.

During these early years Erling spent much time at The Door, although not in any formal capacity. He spent time with the young people, talked with staff, interviewed new volunteers. He joined in the late evening staff meetings where the days activities and problems were reviewed and resolved. Each evening ended with a song that was to become our song The Doors song, for many years to come: Elton John's Love Song, its text so very appropriate for the place, the staff and the young people who joined in a large circle each night that grew larger each month.

"The words I have to say may well be simple but theyre true
Until you give your love theres nothing more that we can do.
Love is the opening door, Love is what we came here for.
No one can offer you more, do you know what I mean?
Have your eyes really seen?

You say its very hard to leave behind the life you knew.
But theres no other way and now its really up to you.
Love is the key we must turn, Truth is the Flame we must burn,
Freedom the lesson we must learn. Do you know what I mean,
Have your eyes really seen."

Erlings death in 1976 came as a serious blow to the staff and clients alike who deeply missed his guidance and loving presence.

Over the next 15 years The Door expanded continuously: in its capacity to service larger numbers of young people, in continuing to attract professional volunteers and in creating an increasingly broad base of funding from city, state and federal as well as private funding sources. It quickly became known nationally and internationally as a demonstration model for creative and comprehensive human service delivery and a training program that attracted hundreds of professionals from all over the world who came to learn how to apply the concepts that are the essential features of The Doors services to their own projects.

In 1988 ICIS with a few other nonprofit organizations acquired and renovated a building as a nonprofit condominium on the western edge of SoHo in New York City. Upon the establishment of The Door as an independent nonprofit organization apart from ICIS in 1992, the share of ICISs ownership of the building was transferred to The Door. The Door continues to prosper and provide valuable services to thousands of New York Citys youth more than 30 years after its inception.