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Community Corner

Nonprofit Spotlight: An OASIS for Needy Students

New Tampa nonprofit continues to help clothe Hillsborough County's youngsters.

New Tampa’s Outreach Assisting Students In Schools program is about to turn 10 years old, an age close to those who benefit most from the non-profit organization.

OASIS, as it is known, was founded in 2001 by a couple of New Tampa mothers who saw students in the Hillsborough County School District who, due to any number of reasons, lacked basic necessities such as school supplies, school uniforms and decent clothing.

For Hillsborough County School District, the nation’s eighth-largest public school district, OASIS has been a crucial player in providing needy students everything from new socks to toiletries like toothbrushes and hairbrushes. According to the Florida Department of Education, more than 50 percent of students in Hillsborough County qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. Karen Withee, social worker for Hillsborough County Public Schools, praises the OASIS program.

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“I’m not sure what I would do without them,” said Withee as she sorted through a rack of infant clothes. “I found everything I need.”

OASIS caters to social workers who collect clothes for students in public schools or daycare centers. Sometimes parents give a list of items to workers like Withee that include bibs, blankets, T-shirts and sleepers that they otherwise could not afford. According to their website, 140 school social workers help distribute the donations.

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Executive Director Ginger Bean heads the operation out of a local New Tampa school, whose name she did not want a reporter to share with readers. Bean joined OASIS shortly after it started and says the program has helped approximately 10,000 students so far.

“This is just a great place to donate your gently used kids clothes,” Bean says. “It is our mission to provide students with the necessities.”

Bean, along with another part-time worker, Associate Director Brenda Simpson, lead a group of 15-20 volunteers each week who help in clothing drives, sorting donations and transporting clothes from various drop-off donation sites in the area, including the YMCA and local schools who donate unclaimed clothes from their lost and found box. All lost and found items are washed and hung with other clean clothes to be picked up by social workers.

OASIS prides itself in receiving zero government funding and operates with a budget of $100,000 per year. The program supports children who are not served by any other agency, and uses monetary donations to purchase new shoes and school uniforms to clothe students with the basic essentials for the school year.

Many of the organization’s volunteers come from high schools in New Tampa. The teenagers use OASIS as a productive way to gather required community service hours for Florida Bright Futures scholarship programs or other extra-curricular requirements.

Since opening in 2001, OASIS has prospered with the students it helps. Though it still uses a New Tampa school as headquarters, two separate branches have since opened in East and South Tampa. There is also talk about opening another OASIS operation in the Brandon/Pasco area because of the success of the program.

"We're really looking forward to the future," Bean said. "It is exciting to be expanding into the east side of Hillsborough County." 

To find a donation drop-off site, or to learn about making a monetary contribution, call Executive Director Ginger Bean at (813) 975-8179 or visit the website, which also has information about volunteer opportunities.

DROP-OFF TIPS

Before rummaging through your closet or heading out to a departmet store, consider this most-requested items list from the OASIS website:

New Items:

  • Underwear
  • Socks
  • Backpacks
  • Tennis Shoes
  • Electric alarm clocks
  • Personal grooming items: soap, shampoo, deodorant, feminine products, toothpaste, toothbrushes

New or Gently Used Items:

  • Solid color uniforms: collared shirts in white, red, navy, yellow, or forest green; pants, shorts, jumpers in navy or tan
  • Belts
  • Coats / jackets
  • Play clothes
  • Various school supplies: paper, pencils, pens, erasers, crayons, children's books
  • Household items: sheets, blankets, pots, pans, dishes, silverware, towels, wash clothes
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