LAPORTE — Sometimes a coffeehouse can be more than just a coffeehouse.
The Door Coffeehouse in Laporte strives to help those in need while also being a gathering space for the community.
Joyce Day, one of the founders of The Door Coffeehouse, was a recent guest on Bright Spot on the KAXE Morning Show. She and her husband Kevin transformed a house built in 1906 into a beautiful space that not only serves breakfast, lunch and coffee, but can house up to seven people who need temporary housing.
“We had to take it right down to the studs,” Joyce said.
The house needed insulation and electrical and plumbing updates to make it habitable. Kevin’s background as a contractor came in very handy for the transformation. Now, the house stands as a gathering space in Laporte for community members and those who need a place to stay while working on finding stable housing.

The Door provides food, clothing and other necessities for those who stay there. They also offer assistance with rental deposits, getting documents lined up and more. The accumulated costs of safety deposits and other move-in costs pose a major barrier for acquiring housing.
“A lot of people can make the rent, but it's all that money you need up front [that’s difficult],” Joyce said.
Donations of clothing and furniture are accepted through The Door. Joyce said many of their live-in guests don’t have anything beyond what they came in with. So, they make sure people have what they need.
“When they do get their place, they can pick out furniture that they can just have," she explained.
The Days have been looking beyond their current house to expand their mission. They recently purchased the former town hall building in Laporte and plan to create three separate housing units for families of varying sizes.
The Door was the recipient of Beltrami Electric Cooperative’s 2024 Touchstone Energy Community Award.
“We couldn't do it without our community," Joyce said. "So just getting this recognition and getting our name out there more is great.”
For more information or to donate, visit The Door’s website.
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The Bright Spot is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.