During this extraordinary year, O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry celebrated 30 years of service to the St. Charles community. What a remarkable milestone for a 100% volunteer organization. With the help of our supporters and volunteers, our pantry doors remain open and we continue to help those less fortunate and vulnerable in St. Charles County. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic propelled our leadership into the greatest challenge in the pantry’s 30-year tenure. Our Annual Golf Tournament & Auction fundraiser was cancelled, as well as the Girl Scout, Boy Scout, and Letter Carrier Food Drives. A Thrivent Food Packing event was also cancelled.
Many of our long-serving volunteers retired from pantry work due to the potential risk from COVID-19 infection. Major decisions had to be made about whether to participate in events, where to find and buy food and hygiene products, how to develop a new food distribution process, how to keep our volunteers and clients safe, and how to recruit volunteers to fill vacancies during a pandemic. We worked through all obstacles the pandemic created and kept the pantry lights on and the doors open — even when several food pantries in the St. Louis area closed their doors.
Your donations, whether funds or food, have allowed us to respond to the rise in food insecurity and ensure nutritious food gets into the hands of the people who are most vulnerable. Volunteers risked their health to pick up food, stock shelves, work with clients and fill / deliver orders. Additionally, O.A.S.I.S. partnered with other local organizations struggling to find resources.
We gave additional food to families with school-aged children during summer break and cab rides for pantry clients without transportation. In December, our Christmas Store provided 126 families (434 children) with additional holiday gifts, coats, gloves, hats, etc. With our 100% volunteer team and your continued support, we served 3,360 St. Charles County families over the last year. We added 225 new client families in 2020.
We feel truly blessed with your overwhelming generosity. Together, with God’s help, we will get through this challenge and continue to make a difference in the St. Charles County community.
With sincere gratitude,
O.A.S.I.S. Board of Directors and Team Leaders
OASIS Celebrates 30 Years
