Oasis is struggling to continue its mission to help the less fortunate in the Portsmouth area. Join the HRCT team in giving back by donating to Oasis.
Oasis Social Ministry has been a staple of the Portsmouth community for 45 years. They’ve been helping the less fortunate for decades, but right now, they need your help. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in fewer donations and even more community members in need of help.
If you can, please join the HRCT in donating what you can to keep Oasis in operation through the pandemic:
CLICK HERE TO DONATE RIGHT NOW.
A Legacy Of Support For Our Community
The HRCT team’s connection with the charity goes back to 2000, when our very own Mike Ives, V.P. Business Development, was regularly donating food during the weekly Mass he attended at the Church of St. Therese Catholic Church. Food donated at the church services would be passed on to the Oasis food pantry. It provided a simple way for Mike and other community members to support the homeless and less fortunate.
Later on, Mike became more involved with the charity. His family volunteered to cook and serve food one evening and spend time with those that depended on Oasis’ services.
“My children had an opportunity to speak with a couple of the young adults,” says Mike. “They played chess and checkers with these folks, and you could hear their laughter throughout the social hall. Afterward, my children wanted to do more to help, so we became more involved with Oasis’ different programs.”
Mike and his family volunteered to cook and serve breakfast once a month, as well as make holiday meal baskets for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. They got involved with the Oasis walk-a-thon and Soup Cookoff, which are two big fundraisers for Oasis.
As Mike became more involved with the organization, so did other groups in the community. The local Council also began supporting Oasis, with financial and food donations (a total of over 5,000 lbs. of food last year). Mike also asked HRCT to assist Oasis, and we’ve done so through financial donations and food drives.
What Is The Oasis Social Ministry?
Oasis is an incredible organization, whose mission is to help those less fortunate. Oasis is the only location in Portsmouth where the homeless can get a hot breakfast and lunch daily, and they also offer groceries for families in need. Oasis provides and delivers groceries to over 100 homebound seniors weekly. All of these services are funded by corporate and individual donations and supported by volunteers. About 30% of the food that Oasis receives comes from local churches. In 2018 alone, Oasis…
- Served 49,000 meals in the soup kitchen
- Provided 280,000 meals to the local community
- Provided over 278,000 lbs. of food assistance to 5,141 families
- Provided holiday baskets of food to over 1,000 people at Thanksgiving and Christmas
- Managed over 3,000 volunteers contributing 17,000 hours of service time
Oasis Needs Your Help During The COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a range of negative effects on our communities and the country as a whole. Because the local churches have had to close their doors and cancel services, Oasis is no longer receiving the usual donations they count on to support our community’s homeless and low-income population. To compound the issue, the number of those in need has grown, as many have been laid off during this crisis.
Please join HRCT in helping Oasis by making a donation. No amount is too small, and every dollar received will go to help those in need of food.
