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Connections

Open Door Mission draws lines

Three people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at left has a long blonde ponytail and is wearing a beige blazer over a black and white striped button-down shirt; a woman at center has long brown hair and is wearing a maroon sweater; a man at right has short dark hair and is wearing a navy hooded sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers.
Julie Williams
/
WXXI News
Anna Valeria and Kaylin Searight with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Monday, October 27, 2025
WXXI News

For much of the past year, the Open Door Mission has been operating at nearly double capacity.

The mission serves the local homeless population, and its leadership is looking for new ways of doing things.

That includes a partnership with another local shelter. It also includes setting boundaries on what it can and cannot do for people in need.

We discuss it all with the mission's chief executive officer.

In studio:

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.