Creating a safe space for women and children is the core of Oasis’ mission, allowing them to work towards a brighter future.
What is Oasis?
Oasis – A Haven for Women and Children (Oasis) is a community-embedded agency that helps women and children rise out of poverty. Located in Paterson, Oasis serves families in the greater Paterson area through a variety of ways.
Oasis’ mission is to break the cycle of poverty through compassionate programs that empower women and children in need.
Oasis was initially founded as soup kitchen in 1997 by Ann Wagner and Christina DeVita Breit, who saw women with children excluded from many soup kitchens due to safety reasons.
While the Soup Kitchen remains a key part of Oasis’ services, the organization has expanded to serve 1,500 women and children daily with basic needs services and educational programs.
How Oasis Serves its Community
Through its direct connection with the Paterson community, Oasis provides a haven for women and children to thrive.
Oasis provides programs through:
- Social Services
- Adult Education
- Youth Development
- Basic Needs
Adult Education:
Getting at the core of antipoverty, families need wraparound support as they work towards their futures. Oasis’ Adult Education programs are offered for free, giving women the opportunity to gain essential skills to enter the workforce.
Programs include:
- Job Counseling
- Helps women secure employment.
- Helps women secure employment.
- Computer Training
- Provides essential tools for the 21st-century marketplace.
- Provides essential tools for the 21st-century marketplace.
- English as a Second Language
- Offers four levels of classes to help women speak English well in everyday life.
- Offers four levels of classes to help women speak English well in everyday life.
- Citizenship Courses
- Prepares women for the U.S. citizenship test and through the naturalization process.
- Prepares women for the U.S. citizenship test and through the naturalization process.
- GED Courses
- Supports students as they take exams required to earn their high school equivalency diploma.
Oasis also provides mothers with free daycare, giving them peace of mind that their children are cared for.
Youth Development:
Oasis recognizes the academic challenges Paterson’s children are facing: chronic absenteeism, low graduation rates, and the impact of COVID-19.
To combat these, Oasis’ after-school programs provide children and teenagers with a healthy dinner, tutoring, and trauma-informed emotional support.
Youth Development programs include:
- The Michael Wagner After-School Academy
- Provides K-7 students with academic support over the school year.
- Provides K-7 students with academic support over the school year.
- Carl’s Kids Summer Camp
- A traditional summer camp and “First Jobs” initiative which employs low-income teens in paid camp counselor positions.
- A traditional summer camp and “First Jobs” initiative which employs low-income teens in paid camp counselor positions.
- Oasis Teen Program
- Led by social workers who provide academic and socio-emotional support to the youth.
- Led by social workers who provide academic and socio-emotional support to the youth.
- Full-Service Community School Partnerships
- Oasis leads programs in Paterson Public School #2 and #16.
- Oasis leads programs in Paterson Public School #2 and #16.
Social Services:
Oasis has four social workers on site to help women and children address serious issues, such as domestic violence, mental health, and substance abuse.
Families are provided with a safe, supportive environment as they rebuild their lives with dignity.
In addition to education and youth development, Oasis’ social service programs include:
- Referrals
- Connecting clients to trusted partner agencies.
- Connecting clients to trusted partner agencies.
- Psychological Assessments
- Helps identify mental health needs and shape supportive intervention strategies.
- Helps identify mental health needs and shape supportive intervention strategies.
- Outreach Programs
- Bringing in outside agencies to host parenting workshops, health screenings, and legal assistance.
- Bringing in outside agencies to host parenting workshops, health screenings, and legal assistance.
- Individual and Group Counseling
- Facilitated by Oasis social workers to provide a supportive environment addressing mental health challenges.
- Facilitated by Oasis social workers to provide a supportive environment addressing mental health challenges.
- ECO Program
- In collaboration with two local agencies, Oasis provides safe, supportive housing for women and children who are survivors of domestic violence.
- In collaboration with two local agencies, Oasis provides safe, supportive housing for women and children who are survivors of domestic violence.
Basic Needs:
Oasis addresses the most urgent needs through its essential services:
- The Soup Kitchen
- Serves free, hot breakfast and lunch every weekday.
- Serves free, hot breakfast and lunch every weekday.
- Emergency Food Bags
- Provides a three-day supply of nutritious groceries to support families in need.
- Provides a three-day supply of nutritious groceries to support families in need.
- The Oasis Thrift Store
- Offers high-quality clothing at affordable prices to support the needs of low-income families.
- Offers high-quality clothing at affordable prices to support the needs of low-income families.
- Supplies Distribution
- Provides families with personal hygiene products, baby formula, essential baby equipment, and other necessities.
What Sets Oasis Apart?
Oasis provides families with the essential services through care and understanding.
Through Oasis, women and children of all different backgrounds are given the space to connect with the community and grow.
Oasis also partners with other organizations in Paterson, providing families with more resources and sharing best practices. Its partnerships include:
- ECO
- Eva’s Village, CUMAC and Oasis
- Eva’s Village, CUMAC and Oasis
- Building Healthier More Equitable Communities (BHEC)
- CUMAC, Eva’s Village, Health Coalition of Passaic County, New Jersey Community Development Corporation, Oasis, Passaic County Habitat for Humanity, St. Joseph’s Health, United Way of Passaic County
- The Wyckoff YMCA
- Passaic County Community College
- Pony Power
- Paterson Public School District (School #2 and School #16)
Oasis truly provides support to women and children in the greater Paterson area through connections to community, and by being part of the community as well.
Turrell graciously thanks Oasis for its impactful work in creating a community of care for women and children in Paterson, and supports its mission of changing lives through breaking the cycle of poverty.
