OASIS helps families needing school, home supplies

For years, more than half of Hillsborough County's public school students qualified for a free or reduced-price lunch.

But participation now is at an all-time high.

"We've always been around 50 percent,'' said Ken Gaughan, supervisor of the school district's social work services. "But in the last couple of years, that number is rising sharply.''

Just five years ago, 48.8 percent of the district's 192,000 students participated in the federally subsidized nutrition program.

At the start of this new school year, 59.6 percent were taking part. "The need is greater than ever,'' Gaughan said.

And that makes programs such as OASIS, or Outreach Assisting Students in Schools, more important than ever, he said.

Now in its 10th year, the nonprofit collects shirts, pants, shoes, underwear, toothbrushes and alarm clocks for needy students and their families.

Founded by two New Tampa moms, OASIS started out helping four schools with an abundance of low-income families struggling to provide for their children.

Back then, about 47 percent of the district's students took part in the free or reduced-price lunch program. That number was consistent until about 2006, when the nation's economy began to falter.

About two years ago, school social worker Stephanie Harden saw the fallout from a stagnant real estate market and record high unemployment.

That's when families, who used to donate clothing to OASIS, started asking her for help.

Some just need basics, such as school uniform pieces or a backpack. Others need just about everything, including clothes for Mom and Dad.

Just the other day, Harden came across a little girl wearing hand-me-down underwear.

She grabbed a new pack from OASIS.

"To me, it's really special what they do,'' said Harden, who stopped by one of the three OASIS locations on a recent Friday.

There, in a portable building behind Jan Platt Regional Library, she sorted through shirts, pants, school supplies and other items before returning to one of the three schools she oversees. The South Tampa site was donated by the school district.

Inside, clothes are everywhere — on hangers, in bags and bins and folded neatly on metal racks. Bags of new shoes from Payless stores are ready to pick up.

OASIS has three part-time workers, including executive director Ginger Bean. It operates on a $100,000 annual budget, thanks to grants and community support, with about 75 percent to 80 percent directly benefitting needy families, Bean said.

A friend of the founders, Lynn Gruber and Terry Wolford, Bean started out as a volunteer while her children were in elementary school.

Now they're in college, and Bean hopes to attract new volunteers with children in the school system.

"That really makes a difference,'' she said.

They not only see the need first-hand, but they can get the word out to others at school. OASIS has about 30 to 40 volunteers at any given time.

This summer, more students signed up to help, in part, Bean said, because of increases in community service requirements that qualify them for a Bright Futures Scholarship.

She plans to set up regular times for students to pitch in during the school year. She sees it as a chance not only to grow OASIS's outreach efforts, but also to teach a younger generation.

"This is part of the expectation of people in this world,'' Bean said. "Especially if you have gotten so much. You give something back.''

There are plans for a fourth OASIS site in east Hillsborough County, somewhere between Plant City and Brandon, Bean said. The group is waiting for the district to settle on a location and a civic group or someone to coordinate volunteers and operate the center.

Right now, there's a great need for winter jackets and larger-sized boys' and girls' clothes.

"We're chronically low on boys' pants and shorts,'' Bean said. "I think it's because they wear them out before they can give them away.''

Students and families who need help can contact a school social worker.

To volunteer at OASIS, go to www.oasis-network. org