O.A.S.I.S.  Food Pantry News – December 2019

Four Reasons to Volunteer for a Healthier, Happier Holiday and New Year

1. Giving of your time makes you feel happy.
2. Volunteering increases your self-confidence.
3. Doing good for others gives you a sense of accomplishment.
4. Developing pride and identity through your volunteer role.

Do something for yourself by sharing your time with O.A.S.I.S. now and in the new year.

Elves Needed for OASIS Christmas Shop

Wednesday, December 4th – Friday, December 6th – Saturday, December 7th – Sunday, December 8th

Get your Christmas spirit in gear by helping at the annual O.A.S.I.S. Christmas Shop. This All-Volunteer event gives our pantry clients the opportunity to ‘shop’ for donated Christmas toys and winter wear for their family.  Clients sign-up at the Food Pantry to participate in the event which takes place over the weekend of December 7th at Hope Lutheran Family Center 1795 Old Hwy. 94, St. Charles, MO.

Fund raising and toy drives are in full swing, but we can’t have a Christmas Shop without a bunch of elves. We are looking for a small army of volunteers to help with the O.A.S.I.S. Christmas shop and are hoping to count on you!  If you can help during any of the following dates/times please reply to Pam Russina with your name, the day(s) you’d like to volunteer, and the number/names/emails of additional helpers.

Volunteers for Sat/Sun must be age 18 or over; although teenagers can help alongside a parent.  Just let us know if your son/daughter will be joining you when you sign up.  On Friday you may come and go as you need, but if you sign up to volunteer for Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday you need to commit for the entire time.

Volunteer Opportunities

1. Dec. 4th Wednesday 3:30-4:30PM – Unload the first truck and move coat racks from storage.  If you have a truck to help us transport the coat racks this is a plus! I only need 6 volunteers, but they must be physically able to carry coat racks down a flight of steps.
2. Dec. 6th Friday 1:30PM – 4:30PM:  Unload trucks, Carry, count, sort, and set-up toys.
3. Dec. 7th Saturday 7:30AM – Noon:  Training + Work Christmas Shop greeting shoppers, helping select toys, carrying bags, and generally making the experience a good one for our guests.
4. Dec. 8th Sunday 12:30 – 4PM:  Training, Work Christmas Shop, Pack up toys, and Clean Up.

Please contact Pam Russina at pam.russina@att.net if you can help.

Birthday Bag Mission – Cake Mixes Needed

The Food Pantry is seeking cake mix donations for the Birthday Bag mission at O.A.S.I.S. This mission assembles a birthday kit for client children having a birthday during the month they visit the food pantry. The birthday bag includes a cake mix, frosting, plates, napkins and a book or DVD – everything needed for a birthday celebration. Cake mix donations can be dropped off at the pantry or sent through your church.

Wishing you and yours God’s Blessings and a very Merry Christmas.
O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry Board Members

O.A.S.I.S.  Food Pantry News – October 2019

2019 Children’s Summer Food Program

The 2019 Children’s Summer Food Program was very successful in reaching out to families with school-aged children. This summer the O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry provided extra food to 1,381 low-income families with school-aged children. The total cost of the program was over $19,000 at a cost of about $13 per child. We are so thankful to the Bayer Fund, the St. Charles Rotary Club, and Ameren UE for providing grants to help O.A.S.I.S. pay for this year’s program.

2019 Scouting for Food – Saturday, November 16

Mark your calendars, Saturday, November 16th is the date for the 2019 Boy Scouts Scouting for Food Campaign. Door hangers will be provided for Scouts to deliver to their neighborhoods on November 9, 2019 with a request to fill a bag with food. Filled bags will be picked up on the morning of Saturday, November 16, 2019 and delivered to food pantries. Volunteers will be needed at O.A.S.I.S. on Saturday the 16th to help with food sorting and storing. More information will be forthcoming about how you can help.

OASIS Food Pantry Thrift Store – Volunteers Needed

The O.A.S.I.S Thrift Store needs volunteers to oversee general operations of the thrift store. Here is an overview of the various duties

• Soliciting, sorting, and pricing donations.
• Operating and balancing the cash register, tracking and reporting sales.
• “Window Dressing” the store – organizing items for sale.

If you would like more detailed information please contact the food pantry by phone 636-723-0037 or email the food pantry at oasisfoodpantry@aol.com.

Where’s the Beef?

It’s at the food pantry! Another big thank you goes out to Skip Hampton and Novus International for donating two more steers to the O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry. Two steers provided almost 1000 pounds of ground beef for distribution at the panty, which goes a long way to help provide healthy food options for our client families.

O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry News – September 2019

OASIS Food Pantry Thrift Store – Volunteer Manager Needed

The O.A.S.I.S Thrift Store needs a new volunteer manager to oversee general operations of the thrift store. Here is just a brief overview of the Thrift Store Manager volunteer role for your consideration.

• Finding, training, and managing volunteers and tracking volunteer hours.
• Soliciting, sorting, and pricing donations.
• Operating and balancing the cash register, tracking and reporting sales.
• If you would like more detailed information please email Diana Mayfield at relyondiana2@gmail.com.

Shop Out Hunger

Sending out a big thank you to our volunteers and those that donated at our local stores during the Shop Out Hunger campaign held on August 3rd. The O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry received over 1600 items and $300 in cash donations.

AMEREN UE Grant Received

Another thank you is sent to our community partners at AMEREN UE who provided a $750 grant to help offset expenses incurred for the Children’s Summer Food Program.

A Kind Gesture Lasts a Lifetime

The O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry is blessed to have such wonderful public support. It is important that we recognize the good people, caring people, and generous people in our community who reach out to help others in need. These good acts whether large or small bring hope to the hopeless and positive change to the St. Charles region.

Thank you for continuing to support this mission,
O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry Board Members

OASIS Food Pantry News – June 2019

$5K City of St. Charles Grant Received

Sending a big thank you to the City of St. Charles for approving a $5,000 grant to help O.A.S.I.S. provide pantry clients with non-food Basic Essentials. It is estimated that Basic Essentials, like laundry detergent, shampoo, toothpaste, bar soap, deodorant, and toilet paper can cost upwards of $60 per month. Having to do without these essentials can affect an individual’s sense of self-worth and dignity. For this reason, the O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry decided to purchase non-food Basic Essentials for our clients. This $5,000 grant will help cover the $15,000 annual expense incurred by the pantry to provide these Basic Essentials to our clients.

Soups On!

Thank you to the Living Lord Ladies Retreat for putting together some appetizing soup mixes for the O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry Clients. They sure smelled wonderful as I was transporting them to the food pantry. Food kits are very popular at the pantry, and healthy soups are a wonderful way to feed a family. Thank you for sharing your time and talents to help pantry clients while on your retreat.

Texas Roadhouse Fundraiser – June 24th

Enjoy a good meal and help a good cause! Texas Roadhouse located at 1300 Bass Pro Drive in St. Charles will donate 10% of your food purchase to O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry on June 24th from 3:30-10pm.  Just present THIS FLYER or let your server know that you are there in support of O.A.S.I.S. YUM!

Stamp Out Hunger – Postal Workers Food Drive

Postal Workers Food Drive went well even through the all the rain drops. It is estimated the pantry received about the same quantity of food as last years drive. Thanks to all who got wet leading, collecting and sorting food in the rain.

Prayers Please

• For O.A.S.I.S. Leaders, Board members, and volunteers suffering from health issues.
• For O.A.S.I.S. Clients and their children as they travel the muddy waters of financial insecurity.
• For excellent weather on Monday the June 3rd the day of the O.A.S.I.S. annual Golf tournament.

Thank you for continuing to believe in this mission,
O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry Board Members

O.A.S.I.S.  Food Pantry News – May 2019

Youth Food Challenge

The gauntlet was thrown and Hope Lutheran picked it up. Hope Lutheran Youth now reign as the winner of the 2019 Youth Food Challenge. It’s a challenge done for fun because the real winners are the Pantry clients. This year’s collection totaled almost 13,000 items. Sending a big thanks to all who participated in this year’s challenge.

Thrivent Choice Dollars for O.A.S.I.S.

Thank you for choosing the O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry for your Thrivent Choice Dollars. The pantry received almost $1000.00 in Thrivent Choice Dollars last quarter.

If you have Thrivent Choice Dollars and wish to direct them to the O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry, have your Thrivent number handy and call Thrivent at 1-800-847-4836, and ask for Thrivent Choice.  Via the Thrivent web site, choose My Thrivent and Direct Thrivent Choice Dollars. When using the on-line Thrivent Choice catalog, you can find the food pantry by name, city, or zip code as follows:

Name: Outreach Assistance Serving Individuals in St. Charles Cty. (O.A.S.I.S.)

City: St. Charles

Zip: Code; 63301

O.A.S.I.S. Golf Tournament and Banquet – Monday, June 3

The O.A.S.I.S. annual Golf tournament is the food pantry’s major fund raiser. Funds raised at last year’s event allowed the pantry to purchase and distribute additional food to 1,600 low-income school-aged children during summer months when school meals are not available. Funds from this year’s event will go towards the purchase of a much-needed used van for daily food item pick-ups from local grocery stores

For further details about the golf tournament visit the pantry web site at www.OASISfoodpantry.com, the golf tournament brochure is available for viewing on-line in the upcoming events calendar. 

Donations Needed

Canned fruit for the O.A.S.I.S. pantry shelves. Fresh fruits are not always available this time of year and the pantry has been running short on canned fruit, any donations would be appreciated.

New or gently used books for ages 2-7 years are needed to fill our children’s birthday bags. Birthday bags include a cake mix, frosting, and a book for the child.

Donations can be dropped off at your church or at the Pantry, 1814 Boone’s Lick Road, St. Charles, MO 63301.

Thank you for supporting this mission, 

O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry Board Members