Jess’s* Story

During Covid, Jess found out about the Port Orchard Coffee Oasis through one of her friends. Her mom was behind on rent after a work injury and their stay with a friend was only a temporary solution. When she became homeless, she remembered that there was a shelter in Bremerton.

She couch surfed for a couple months as she was processing her next steps. There was a one month wait before she was able to get into the Bremerton Shelter.

Reflecting back on her experience staying at The Coffee Oasis Youth Shelter, she appreciates the opportunity it provided:

“It’s a safe place for people to go to. The staff are very understanding and all genuinely nice people.”

Read more of Jess’s Story >>

Grant’s Story

Grant faced challenges due to his mental health and neurodevelopment diagnoses. He turned to drugs to cope and things began to go downhill from there.

“I was pulling cardboard out of a dumpster to sleep in. I had a good family, a stable home, but it still happened.”

Thankfully, The Coffee Oasis Jail Outreach program connected Grant with Brian, the Crisis Manager and his mentor. They meet one-on-one and within the Restoration & Recovery groups on a weekly basis to discuss topics around substance abuse, conflict, and mental health.

Having the support and someone to talk to has helped Grant process his thoughts, provided a safe space to share, and held him accountable.

“After group meetings, I’m a lot calmer. We usually share a prayer together, and then I can go back to my family and have a better relationship.”

Read more of Grant’s Story >>

Each winter, teens and young adults at The Coffee Oasis look forward to the annual Christmas party to gather with friends, play games, enjoy a Christmas dinner, hear the Christmas story, and open presents. For many, this is their only Christmas celebration.

The staff who work directly with youth are able to buy personalized gifts for every youth who finds support at the drop-in centers.

One youth was brought to tears as she unwrapped a gorgeous, artisan-style Bible. Another, was in shock at receiving a classical guitar and immediately filled the center with beautiful music.

This event would not be possible without you–our generous community. We are grateful for all who provided Christmas gifts and for the many volunteers who prepared food, wrapped gifts, set-up the event, and cleaned up after the party. Thank you!

Read the Christmas recap >>

“Through Coffee Oasis I was able to get a case manager, meet other people, and springboard off of that into my internship where I really connected with my coworkers and boss. I would have never gone there if it weren’t for Coffee Oasis. It ended up being a great fit for me.”

Trevor’s Story

Last summer, Trevor learned about The Coffee Oasis job training program and began taking classes to prepare for an internship in the community. Trevor shared that it was helpful to talk about interview skills and resume building.

“I only had knowledge from a high school class setting, so I didn’t really feel prepared for the real world. The mock interview was helpful.”

In the job training program, youth development staff look to place youth in an internship site that meets their needs and interests as best as possible. Habitat for Humanity stood out to Trevor the most, as they were interested in community work.

Read more of Trevor’s experience >>