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About Oasis
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Oasis is the only drop-in and support center dedicated to the needs of GLBTQ youth ages 14-24 in Pierce County and is a program of the Pierce County AIDS Foundation.
(Click on highlighted text to learn more)
Mission
Oasis enhances and sustains the health and well-being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth by saving individual lives, building community, and developing young leaders who can change the world. Oasis provides activities, programs and services that:
- Support and empower youth
- Create healthy community
- Provide essential resources
- Promote cultural diversity
- Advocate for civil rights
Oasis is committed to providing a safe, affirming space for LGBTQ youth to be proud of who they are and the encouragement they need to become healthy, productive and fully participating citizens. Supported by a team of dozens of staff and volunteers, Oasis offers an amazing array of activities to more than 400 youth annually.
History
Oasis was formed in 1988 by a group of concerned citizens to help GLBTQ youth cope with discrimination and find support. Oasis is celebrating over 20 years of history and we are currently compiling an Oasis History Project to document the many great achievements and milestones witnessed over the years. If you have an Oasis story to share, please contact us. More than 3,000 youth, staff and volunteers have participated in the program since 1988 and we would like to hear from as many of you as possible.
Programs and Services
- 18+ drop-in hours per week with trained adult staff and volunteers
- Support for youth around issues of sexual orientation and gender identity
- Crisis intervention and advocacy services for LGBTQ victims of crime
- 24 hour crisis line
- Crisis intervention
- Safety planning
- Mental Health counseling
- Navigation of legal and medical systems
- Information, education and referral
- Skills building
- General case management
If you or someone you know has been victim of crime, Oasis can help you. Oasis provides support, advocacy, services and referrals for LGBTQ youth victims of crime including: assault; bullying, harassment and hate crimes; drugged and drunk driving; homicide; identity theft; physical abuse; and sexual violence.
- Leadership training through Oasis Youth Council (OYC)
The youth leadership group at Oasis is made up of interested youth members of Oasis who have completed peer leader training. OYC members direct important aspects of the program including developing and adapting the community agreements to fit the needs of the group, planning events and fundraising activities, providing advocacy and outreach in the community and helping to set the strategic goals of the program.
- Community outreach and advocacy
The Oasis Monologues is a performing arts program created to raise awareness about various issues facing gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. The Monologues uses creative media, specifically theater and spoken word as an educational and outreach tool to address such topics as coming out, gender identity, HIV prevention, safe sex, and sexual orientation. Oasis also offers a Speakers Bureau of youth who attend local classrooms and community groups to speak about being a young GLBTQ person in today's society.
- Referrals to culturally competent primary care, mental health and social service providers
- Free confidential HIV testing and counseling, including rapid testing
HIV positive youth or youth at risk of becoming positive work with a prevention counselor to create individual goals to reduce their risk of getting or transmitting the HIV virus. Youth can participate in up to 5 sessions and are eligible to receive an incentive. Youth who are interested in participating in AIM must schedule an appointment with the Prevention Counselor.
- Resources, support and counseling for HIV+ youth
- Comprehensive HIV prevention program for young gay and bisexual men
Passport is a five part HIV prevention program designed to give GLBTQ youth the information and skills they need to help prevent HIV. Youth in the program visit five themed destinations, receiving a stamp in their Passport book for each destination. The more workshops that youth attend the better the incentives get.
- Queers Kick Ash: innovative GLBTQ youth-focused tobacco cessation program
Queers Kick Ash is an innovative smoking cessation program designed specifically for GLBTQ youth. The program is peer led and focuses on many aspects of why young people smoke, how the media affects those decisions, strategies for quitting or reducing smoking and support for individuals who are trying to quit. Queers Kick Ash offers youth the ability to enhance their leadership skills while supporting and encouraging their peers. With the GLBTQ community smoking at twice the rate of the straight community, this program remains a vital part of the Oasis program.
- Sexual assault prevention program with the OPEN! group
The O.P.E.N! group (Oasis Prevention & Education Now!) is a committed group of Oasis youth who are educating themselves and their peers about sexual assault prevention. OPEN! combines media literacy, critical thinking, and peer advocacy to examine sexual assault in the GLBTQ community and create a community whose members enjoy healthy relationships, high self esteem, and improved communication skills.
- Youth-led discussions and workshops
- Recreational space, games, crafts, art, music, retreats and so much more!
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Oasis Staff
Seth Kirby
Seth Kirby has his dream job as the Director of Oasis. Back in 2001, he started working drop-in shifts at Oasis as part of the HIV prevention department at the Pierce County AIDS Foundation. Eventually, he became the Oasis Program Coordinator. He left Oasis in 2006 to work in state government. After three years away, he is thrilled to be back with Oasis! Seth holds an MPA from The Evergreen State College and is originally from the Midwest. Seth's interests include: hiking, birding and other outdoor pursuits; good books; vintage country music; and playing frisbee with his dog. Email: skirby@piercecountyaids.org
Lorenzo Cervantes
Lorenzo Cervantes hails from the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico, where he/she honed his/her gayness for the benefit of all humanity. His/Her work began at the age of 19 when he/she began to volunteer for an unknown but soon to become pivotal HIV prevention program called Mpower. There he/she recognized that the world of HIV prevention was lacking people of color representation. He/she then moved to San Diego, California where he/she worked for the San Diego LGBTQ Center for their Hillcrest Youth Center. There he/she started off as a Health Educator for a program for young men who have sex with men of color. He then was promoted to Program Manager of HIV Prevention Services. Lorenzo now resides in Tacoma, and works for PCAF and Oasis as a HIV Prevention Counselor. Email: lcervantes@piercecountyaids.org
Lori Bundrock
A graduate of the Evergreen State College, Lori Bundrock is the Prevention Director at the Pierce County AIDS Foundation where she has worked for more than 11 years. Previously Lori was the Director of Oasis from 2000 - 2004, but these days she mostly just stops by to "keep an eye" on things. Lori has always believed that Oasis is one of the finest collections of human beings on this whole darn planet. Originally from the wild, untamed mountains of Montana, Lori longs to live in sunny Kauai where she plans to raise amazing children and watch thousands of sunsets from the Hanalei pier. Lori's other interests include: active volcanoes, mid-century modern design, extension ladder fire trucks, and Oasis Retreats. Email: lbundrock@piercecountyaids.org
Linda Bautista
Linda M. Bautista, M.Ed, is the Oasis Youth Advocate for Crime Victim Services. Linda has a passion for empowering youth who have been victim of crimes and believes in creating culturally competent and innovative ways of preventing violence. Having worked many years with diverse populations that have experienced all kinds of crimes, Linda considers empowerment and self-advocacy to be great healing tools, as well as catalysts for social change. As a survivor of a dysfunctional family and violent neighborhood, Linda recognizes the power in sharing one's story, which is why she is planning an amazing new year of "Open Mics" at Oasis. Her work and dedication has been rewarded through scholarships and leadership training. She is a Pride Foundation/GSBA Scholarship recipient and participant of Pride Foundation's WALOP (Washington Lesbian Organizing Project). Besides voluntarily presenting workshops at regional and national conferences she is currently involved in immigration reform, refugee adjustment, and other human rights issues. For fun, she volunteers with such groups as Rotary 8 RYE, Race & Pedagogy Community Partners, the CSF Achiever Program. Email: lbautista@piercecountyaids.org
Matthew Wilson
Matthew Wilson joins the Oasis staff as a Youth Advocate for Leadership and Community. His experience with Oasis has been enduring and varied. Matthew's first relationship with Oasis was as a youth growing up in Puyallup. He remembers his first intake with Oasis over a decade ago at Red Robin in Puyallup. Oasis played an important part in Matthew's life, and he looks forward to providing the same level of excellent advocacy that was afforded to him as a youth. In 2010, Matthew became a founding member of Oasis Bridge Builders, and more recently, he completed a successful internship with Oasis in June 2010. Matthew's education includes a B.A. from the University of Washington-Seattle with a major in Political Science and an Honors Associate's degree in Arts and Sciences from Pierce College Puyallup. His personal interests include the following: music, politics, volunteering, and concerts. Matthew is excited to serve Oasis in his new role. Email:mwilson@piercecountyaids.org
Erin McCready
Erin McCready is the Youth Advocate for Sexual Assault Prevention. A recent graduate from CSU Long Beach, Erin has a degree in religious studies, with a focus in gender studies. She put herself through college by working with associations where she could make difference, such as a women's recovery home in downtown Los Angeles, as well as an after school arts program for inner city youth. Though Erin moved frequently as a young person, her formative years were spent in Chicago, which still feels like home. She is so excited for the opportunity to work for a program like Oasis, where her education and experience can be fully utilized while she continues learning new things every day. Erin loves traveling; going to shows; listening to Dolly Parton; and working on her new house! Email: emccready@piercecountyaids.org
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What does Oasis stand for?
A. Oasis is not an acronym. The name was chosen by youth to symbolize what the Oasis program is to them. This program was formerly known by the acronym U.G.L.Y., which stood for "United Gay and Lesbian Youth."
Q. When is Oasis open?
A. Oasis is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 4pm until 10pm, and on Saturdays from 6pm until midnight. Check out the News page for upcoming events.
Q. Where is Oasis located?
A. Oasis is centrally located in Tacoma and is within walking distance to the bus line. Our location is kept confidential in order to protect the youth at Oasis who are not out to anyone, and to provide a safe place for GLBTQ youth to be themselves. Although there are many good arguments to be made about having a public location, and many centers for GLBTQ youth who do so successfully, Oasis youth have reported that the program's confidential location is important to them. In a recent survey of Oasis youth, 78% of respondents stated that they believe that it is important to keep the location of Oasis confidential, and of that percentage, 28% said additionally that they might not attend Oasis if the location was public.
Q. I am a parent, and I need to know where my child is going and what kind of supervision is being provided.
A. That's great! We love to meet parents who have an interest in what their children are doing. Please contact Oasis staff to make an appointment with us, and we can answer your questions about Oasis and give you a tour of our facility during non drop-in hours.
Q. Can anyone come to Oasis?
A. Oasis exists for GLBTQ and questioning people ages 14-24. It is important for young GLBTQ people to have a place that is just for them, where they can feel safe and accepted and have access to resources that are specific to this population. Our funding sources support this model, and youth who attend Oasis frequently attest to the positive impact having a place like Oasis makes on their lives. Oasis offers different events each year where straight allies and community members can see what Oasis is all about. If you are interested, please contact Oasis staff for more information.
Q. What is check-in?
A. Check-in is a Thursday night tradition at Oasis that has been going on for more than ten years. During check-in, we sit in a circle in the living room and everyone says their name, their preferred gender pronoun, how their week has been, and answers a question that we decide on that night. The question could be anything from "What are your views on gay marriage?" to "What is the song that represents your week?" Check-in is one of the best times to get to know other youth and to hear announcements about what is going on that week at Oasis.
Q. Why do we say our gender pronoun during check-in?
A. We say our preferred gender pronoun in order to let everyone else know if we go by "she", "he", or another pronoun.
Q. What is the connection between Oasis and PCAF?
A. Oasis is a program of PCAF. PCAF stands for Pierce County AIDS Foundation, and the Oasis program is part of the Prevention Department at PCAF. For more information about PCAF, please see www.piercecountyaids.org.
Q. Who pays for Oasis?
A. Oasis is funded by many different organizations. PCAF provides funding for Oasis, and so does the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department, United Way, Pride Foundation, Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Washington State Office of Crime Victims Advocacy, and many more valued supporters.
Q. How many people come to Oasis?
A. In 2008, 300 unduplicated youth attended Oasis. Of these youth, 45% identified as female, 3% identified as transgender or genderqueer, and 49% identified as male. Of those youth, 4% identified as Asian or Pacific Islander, 10% identified as Black, 2% identified as Native American, 5% identified as Hispanic or Latino, 24% identified as multiracial, and 57% identified as white. Additionally, 45% of youth served are between the ages of 14-18, and 55% are between the ages of 19-24.
Q. What is a typical night like at Oasis?
A. There isn't really a "typical" night at a place like Oasis, but you can generally expect that during the first two hours Oasis is open, people trickle in from school or work. This is a good time to talk with staff, do homework, or check email. A little later on, Oasis is a busy place, with lots of people hanging out, playing pool, listening to music, eating dinner, or playing games. If there are any scheduled programs or activities, these usually take place between 7pm and 9pm, and the expectation is that everyone who is present will take part in the scheduled activity. During the last part the evening, it is generally less busy at Oasis, and people can be found having conversations, playing games, cleaning, or just relaxing together. If you are interested in finding out what scheduled activities and events are coming up, please see our calendar, located on the News page.
Q. What kinds of resources can I find at Oasis?
A. At Oasis, you can access many kinds of resources. We have brochures and cards that you can take with you, and online links on our resources page. Oasis staff offer resources and information about: HIV testing and counseling, smoking cessation, depression and mental health, safer sex and STIs, suicide prevention, sexual assault prevention, coming out issues, legal issues, employment and housing, family issues and relationships, health care, academic help, and support around gender identity. Please talk with staff to find out more about these resources.
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What is Oasis?
Oasis Pierce County's only drop-in, support, and resource center specifically for LGBTQ youth and young adults ages 14-24.
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Contact Us
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Office Phone: 253-671-2838
Emergency Cell Phone:
(253) 988-2108
oasisyouthcenter@gmail.com
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