At their Mar 22 Noon meeting, Kingston North Kitsap Rotarians were updated by Derrick Means, on one of their annual grant recipients, Coffee Oasis.
Means, Kitsap County Coffee Oasis Development Director, told of his recent decision to be employed there. He told of his personal experience with alcoholism, couch-surfing with various families because parents did not want him around, and a recent acceptance of Jesus in his life.....all needs and virtues around which Coffee Oasis builds its servant model.
Coffee Oasis has been around since Cindy and Dave Frederick launched it in their home in Bremerton in 1997. Their pledge was to help kids who have nobody in their corner, for the night, or the next meal. A place for kids to just drop in and feel safe. Feel supported. Coffee Oasis operates in five locations, including Kingston, and a newly-opened operation in Tacoma. Over the years, fifty-thousand youth have been served.
The Coffee Oasis mission is to restore communities through compassionate youth programs. To be father to the fatherless; mother to the motherless. Drop-in locations offer a place to overnight, get a meal, do laundry, participate in a job training program, or relax and play a video game. In short, be welcomed. And helped. This all happens in the "back of the house." In the front of the house, Coffee Oasis is a first-rate coffee shop doing the best lattes imaginable, to go along with fresh food and snacks. 100% of the profits from the front go to support what happens in the back.
In addition to drop-in services, Coffee Oasis operates a 24-hour crisis text line, provides emergency shelter and supportive housing, offers youth development, such as mentorship, and does outreach where teams go into schools and places kids will be. Means offered up that volunteers are needed and donations are gratefully accepted. Learn more, volunteer, or donate - or all three - at: thecoffeeoasis.com.