Help us help our community with our new expansion.
Oasis has been having such a positive impact of the well being of those in the community. We now have access to the neighbouring space next to us, and it would be amazing to get this space up and running to meet demand.
Check out more photos of this space in our gallery
My experience begun at the Oasis Community Café and being able to meet new people every day and help others when they are having bad days. With the support that Oasis gives - they are amazing people - I like to encourage more people to learn skills like people at Oasis. In the last year working at Oasis Community Cafe I have learnt how to be a better person and also how to help out with activities and have begun to complete what I would like to achieve. Plus I love hearing all the good feedback from people about the coffees I make. I like watching how much people are talking with each other, joking, laughing and most importantly having fun.
I first started going to church in my late teenage years and was soon asked to serve as a pianist and join the choir as they lacked a music ministry. My purpose in going to church became less about getting to know God and more focused on serving in the church. I ended up drifting away after a few years as I didn’t develop a knowledge of who God was in relation to me personally, and didn’t learn to trust God wholeheartedly and the world seemed much more fun than knowing an invisible God. In the meantime, I suffered from depression and trauma most of my life since my teenage years. Perpetual fear, anxiety and low moods dominated my daily life and made me feel like my life was meaningless and hellish. I was brought up in an environment where psychological abuse and violence were prevalent within my family. My mother was controlling and abusive, and was hardly there for me, but I was expected to be there for her. My grandmother grappled with schizophrenia and couldn’t nurture and love my mother. My father was always busy at work but when he was at home, he was often angry and moody. I was really wounded and never learnt to love myself as there was no healthy role models available within my family. My spirit was “dead” without God’s word permeating into my heart and developing trust in Him. Years later, when I separated from my ex-husband who was violent, I started to seriously search for God. I tried to read the Bible more and prayed hard to be healed from my trauma, depression and fear. One day I came to know of the Oasis prayer ministry and Josephine started praying for my issues. The layers of trauma and wounds were released through her prayer and I started to experience peace, joy, trust and freedom in God. For the first time in my life I felt peace within me, and that life was worth living. There is still some work to be done, but God has been blessing me through inner healing prayer. My relationship with the Lord is now real as I have learnt to trust God. I love the Lord, and the strength that He gives me allows me to reach out to people in the community as a living sacrifice to the Lord. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139:14).
Shortly after finishing a level 3 certificate in Business Administration and Technology I was lucky enough to obtain a part-time volunteering administration position at Oasis. I believe that God puts people in our path for a reason and I was extremely fortunate that Josie looked past my criminal conviction and appearance. My experience at Oasis performing administration duties has boosted my self-esteem and confidence and I believe has enabled me to obtain my permanent paid job I now have.
Oasis has been having such a positive impact of the well being of those in the community, that it now urgently needs to expand the space it uses to meet demand. We have access to the neighbouring space next to us, and it would be so wonderful to be able to take up this opportunity.
Oasis Community Cafe/Centre just had its first birthday.
Oasis is now well established in Waitangirua. We are having increasing numbers of people visiting our centre. We have established disability groups, cooking events and much more. We also on Saturdays have activities for children.
We have supported people and advocated for them We also provide pastoral care and prayer if needed. We have seen lives change - coming off alcohol and young people making good decisions
We hope this year we can have free internet and wifi - so that local people can apply for jobs and other necessary activities.
We also are looking to establish a music day.
This is all possible because of the kindness of donors such as those who give through givealiitle.
We still need ongoing support for this year so please give if you can. A big thank you from all of the team
