Statements
Mission
Oasis Center's mission is building relationships that advance youth wellbeing, amplify youth voice, and inspire action toward a just community.
Background
Oasis Center traces its roots to the "Rap House," a simple drop-in center founded in 1969 for runaways, homeless teens, and teens experiencing drug and alcohol related problems. In the mid 1970s Oasis House was created to provide emergency shelter and counseling for runaway and homeless youth. Ten years later the agency changed its name to Oasis Center to represent its mission, growth and services more clearly. Over our fifty-plus year history Oasis Center has grown into a far-reaching youth development organization, demonstrating a strong, stable growth in our work serving the diverse needs of youth. We recognize that the lives of young people are complex and that supporting their development requires a supportive, multifaceted approach. That's why today Oasis Center offers over 20 programs for youth, using evidenced-based models of support to help youth successfully transition to a happy, healthy, and productive adulthood. Guided by this notion of meeting young people's various needs and interests, we have made an increased commitment to collaborate and coordinate with other youth service providers in recent years. In 2009, we opened the Youth Opportunity Center (YOC) with eight other youth-serving organizations. The first of its kind in the Southern US, the YOC creates a "one-stop" location for increasing service accessibility and providing comprehensive services to youth. Since co-locating, the number of youth we serve each year has increased nearly 60%.
Impact
Oasis Center provides empowering opportunities for healing, hope, and growth to nearly 3,000 vulnerable youth in Middle Tennessee each year. We offer a full spectrum of programs that ensure young people have the social, emotional, physical, and academic supports needed to navigate their teenage years and successfully transition to healthy, productive adulthood. Oasis Center's programs and their impact are aligned in two focus areas: (1) Crisis to Housing & Workforce Development represents a series of programs and services designed to support marginalized, vulnerable youth in gaining long-term safety, stability and self-sufficiency. This includes a spectrum of programs and services exclusively for youth who are homeless, have run away, or are experiencing significant family crisis (i.e., Emergency Shelter, Outreach, Rapid Rehousing, Supportive Housing, and Counseling). These services provide an essential community safety net, helping transform the life trajectory of over 500 runaway and homeless young people, ages 13-24, each year, as well as engaging over 600 youth and families in clinical counseling services. And (2) Youth Action, Advocacy, and Education is comprised of over 10 school-based and out-of-school-time programs dedicated to empowering young people to be catalysts for social change and achieve personal and academic success. While diverse in focus, each of these programs help youth, ages 11-24, develop leadership and life skills, make healthy choices, foster a sense of purpose, and take responsibility for creating change on the issues that matter to them and to our communities. Each year, these programs engage over 2,100 students in Metro Nashville Public Schools and Nashville State Community College.
Needs
Oasis Center seeks support for general operating expenses for our Housing and Transitions Services (a continuum of supports to help youth gain stability and self-sufficiency) and Youth Action, Advocacy, and Education Programs, providing services for low-income and marginalized youth in Middle Tennessee. We are also seeking both skilled and non-skilled volunteers who are willing to work with youth directly or to support staff working on programs or events. We welcome various in-kind contributions and regularly post a list of needed items on our website.
CEO Statement
A city is known by its landmarks, historical events and public figures. A city's character is directly correlated to the things its citizens support. Oasis has been a part of Nashville for over fifty years. Concerned citizens decided to provide alternatives for youth in crisis. In conjunction with police and other state organizations, a shelter was created to not only beat the odds confronting so many youth, but to change the odds by giving them access to resources, and a voice in their future. We continue that work today.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Human Services - Children's and Youth Services |
| Secondary Category: | Youth Development - Youth Development Programs |
| Tertiary Category: | Mental Health & Crisis Intervention - Hot Lines & Crisis Intervention |
Areas Served
Nashville and surrounding counties.
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
