Our Story
A glimpse inside Oasis Community Outreach
Oasis Community Outreach exists to extend the extraordinary, generous grace of Jesus to our neighbors by treating individual needs with dignity and respect.
Our Mission
Oasis Community Outreach exists to extend the extraordinary, generous grace of Jesus to our neighbors by treating individual needs with dignity and respect. We serve neighbors, not clients. At the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the understanding that as fellow neighbors we all have a need that only God can supply. That is not only true of our salvation, it’s also true of the basic necessities of food and clothing.
We live in a broken and hostile world where we’re often left alone and feel as if no one cares about our needs. But, an Oasis is a place of safety; a fertile spot in a desert where people find refuge from the uncaring and jeering world around them. An Oasis is a place of life and hope. Those who find it, are satisfied with the necessities of food and water even in the middle of hostile surroundings. It is our prayer and intent that Oasis is to our community exactly what our name implies.
Our outreach was started with the simple promise that as long as the Lord provides, we will continue to share. Oasis Community Outreach is a gift from God to point our community to the extraordinary and generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Oasis invites anyone in need of food and clothing resources to visit our outreach at 1308 E. Empire in Bloomington with the promise they will be treated with dignity and respect.
Our Ministry
After God filled the earth with seeds, plants and animals for food and clothing, he saw everything that he had made and declared it good (Genesis 1:31). Yet, as sin entered the world, so too did food and clothing insecurity. One of the many results of sin is not a shortage of resources, but a problem in distribution of what God has promised to supply. Oasis seeks to bridge this gap in our community by offering our neighbors food, clothing and hope without charge.
Food and clothing are the most basic necessities of life. God’s promise to provide these needs points us to the good news of the gospel. God has not abandoned us. Jesus, who took a few loaves and fish and fed 5,000 is still at work today. Jesus feeds and clothes hungry people! Oasis is Living proof. Over 50 volunteers at Oasis are the hands and feet of Jesus, continuing his ministry so that none of us need worry about what to eat or wear (Matthew 6:25).
Oasis is an outreach ministry of Charis Community Church. We partner with other local churches, civic organizations and individual donors to supply our outreach with resources to share. Because God’s grace is generous, Oasis in turn gives generously to our neighbors to help supplement their monthly needs.
The assistance Oasis offers is making a difference with the people we serve, providing households with all the staples necessary to prepare healthy meals in their home. Our clothing pantry offers free, clean, quality clothing to women and children. Our neighbors are then able to reallocate resources to meet other household expenses. We are a “hand up” to our neighbors in McLean County, sharing the love of Jesus.
Our History
Over thirty years ago, a single mother at Illinois State University started receiving bags of groceries at her door from an anonymous donor. As this practice continued, the single mom began to pray and started setting aside a portion of the groceries to share with others. Her prayer was that as long as the Lord continued to provide, she would continue to share.
This simple act of obedience to the Lord became the humble beginnings of Center for Hope Outreach. Operating out of many different locations throughout our community, Center for Hope Outreach eventually landed in the center of Bloomington Normal in the present location at 1308 E. Empire where hundreds have been blessed with food and clothing.
In December of 2023, the director of Center for Hope Outreach passed away from a courageous fight with cancer. At that time neighboring Charis Community Church was presented an offer to purchase the outreach building and continue the ministry. Charis Church was eager to accept this offer to expand its footprint into our community and their associate pastor and his wife became the new directors.
The name was then changed to Oasis Community Outreach, reflecting the desire to be a place of safety and blessing for our neighbors where they will be treated with dignity and respect. Oasis is humbled and grateful to follow the promise this outreach was founded upon; that as long as the Lord continues to provide, we will continue to share.
We are blessed to live in a caring and compassionate community in which Oasis is able to build upon its storied past through old and new ministry partnerships. God is using the ministry of Oasis significantly in our community and He is blessing the work abundantly.