Impact Stories

“I recently received a delivery box of clothes for a student and seeing the smile on his face (the first in a long time) was truly heartwarming. Your donation not only meets a basic need but also sends a powerful message of care and support, reminding our students that they are valued and not alone in their journey.”

“A student approached me to ask for a pair of shoes. He said his one pair were wearing out. He explained that once he couldn’t wear them anymore, he couldn’t come to school anymore.

Thanks to the shoes provided by OASIS, he went on to graduate.”

“We have families living in long-term hotel/motels and families that are settling from out of the country. The ability to order uniforms, hygiene items, and non-uniform clothing for these students, and have it arrive in a timely manner, has helped our students attend school consistently.

It has also provided them a feeling of comfort and welcome as they settle into either a new home or are awaiting permanent housing.”

“When a student was removed from her foster family last year, a former foster sister (and young woman herself) took her in and began supporting her even though she didn’t have a support network. She had been doing an amazing job helping the student to grow, and then she fell and broke her ankle and was out of work for a few weeks.

OASIS was able to supply her with Emergency Food Assistance and help when there was no income or transportation to other food resources.”

“I've had families who came to us with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

To offer our families uniforms when they are facing homelessness, migrant trauma, or domestic violence is a small but powerful gift that we can give to families who are already overwhelmed.

Trust me when I say y’all are making a positive difference. “

“One of the students in adult education experienced a home fire. The student lost his housing and all of his earthly possessions. Though the student was able to receive community-based assistance to meet his housing needs and some of his basic supplies, he still needed queen-sized bedding items.

I reached out to OASIS, and, like magic, they were able to meet the bedding need and supplied the student with a gift card to assist with gas and food! The student was able to comfortably rest at night so he could be successful in school the next day!”

“OASIS went above and beyond connecting me with a stroller to provide to a family who recently lost their transportation and needs to walk to school with two toddlers in tow.

The lack of a stroller was a barrier in getting four elementary-aged siblings to school and because of the stroller, attendance has improved! “

“I use OASIS pretty much every week. Our schools require uniforms and OASIS has been a great resource for our families and students that are going through financial hardships and crisis situations.

I request uniform shirts, khaki pants, and shoes for our students and they always arrive within 2-5 days (actually, I don't think anything has taken 5 days to come.) Thank you for all you do. “

“There are many students who do not attend school because of the perception of what would happen wearing dirty clothes, clothes that are too small, clothes that have holes, or anything else.

I had a student who would not attend school because she did not feel comfortable in the clothes her parents had for her. I ordered her a baggy sweatshirt and it is one of the only things she wears!”

“I used OASIS for a student in need of PE shorts. This child was not passing because he did not have shorts to dress out, and we used your services to provide him with what he needed. Now he has a better grade in PE.”

“Early in the year, a family of 3 students lost their home in a house fire. It was nice to get them uniforms, underwear, socks, and shoes to come to school the next day. We also gave them a set of street clothes for the weekend so Mom didn't have to worry about that when dealing with so many other issues that come with losing your home to a fire.

It is just a good feeling knowing that OASIS is there so I can offer immediate help to our families when they need it. I don't need to scramble to pull supplies together for them. It is a quick trip and they have what they need within the hour! It makes them happy and feels good to help.”

“This year, there was an increase in families living in their cars. It seemed like this was the case in the middle of winter. OASIS came through several times providing multiple families with coats and warm clothes for these students who needed to stay warm at night. The families were very grateful for the provisions provided.”

“We had a student in the care of a distant family member. He was a 9th grader and not connected to school at all. His attendance was poor and he was often running away from his home. One day the student did come to school, and staff were able to meet with him to identify some barriers. He has a very large shoe size for his age and also did not have many clothes.

We immediately put in a delivery order with his correct size shoe and some clothing. Once delivered to this student, we saw an increase in attendance due to having properly fitting shoes and a change of clothes. Oasis provided that basic need for shoes and clothes so that this child could begin to learn what consistently feels like and work to better his academics.”

“A third-grade student had been getting bullied because he kept wearing the same outfits and his shoes had holes worn in the sides. When I saw him walking the halls, he usually kept his head down and kept to himself. I placed an order for this student, and listed his preferences of shoe styles, color, and the type of shorts he liked to wear.

The order arrived within a few days and was delivered to the student. The next day he came into my office in his new outfit and shoes. He had a huge smile on his face and thanked me for his new clothes. He said everything fit perfectly and the shoes were just like some he had seen at the store and wanted, but his mom couldn't afford. I had never seen him so happy!

A family in Hillsborough County has been struggling. After working hard to afford a place to live near work because of a lack of transportation, this family’s childcare center closed.

Without child care, it’s hard to keep a job. Without a job, it’s hard to afford childcare.

Despite doing everything right to secure a place to live, care for kids, and be able to work, some families need extra assistance.

Thank you for supporting OASIS Opportunities so we can support families like this one.

A student recipient of the Pop-Up Shop gave this response to receiving her clothes:

“You just don’t understand. At my house, all we talk about is how to get money for rent and food, rent and food, rent and food. I would never think I could get new clothes.

We are so focused on rent and food that this (pointing to her new outfit with tears in her eyes) ...You just don’t understand. It means everything.”