On a breezy afternoon, people line up around the gym entrance at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church on Park Street in San Angelo. They’re here for the regular meals and support they find through the Oasis ministry.
From 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, the doors are open for all in need.
Many who are homeless, or in-between regular housing, say they depend on these meals to make it through the day. Many other visitors are residents who make up San Angelo’s part of more than 18 million food insecure households nationwide.
Here they can get a square meal, water, and shelter from the elements.
If they need clothing, sleeping bags, or hygiene items, they can stock up, and hopefully sleep a little better knowing that they’ll have food for tomorrow.
Michelle Gonzales is directing traffic. It’s still an hour before they open for the day, and a half dozen are waiting patiently outside the door.
For the past two years, Michelle has helped run The Oasis with a team of volunteers. In that time, she says they’ve seen a dramatic increase in numbers; she breaks down the demographics:
“169 is our highest attendance so far. That includes students as well, [we get] around 30-40 students per day, aged 14-18.
“We do get some college students as well. Not as many small children — maybe six or seven in a day.
“For many of our homeless, it gets so crowded, that many of them are not willing to come in.”
Michelle goes into the kitchen where the meal of the day is heating up. On the kitchen side, Instant Pot cookers are needed because of how quickly they can prepare hot meals, along with roasters, utensils, and other items.
Why does attendance keep growing at the Oasis? Michelle says look no further than the rising cost of living.
“I think it’s because the cost of everything is rising; rent, food, everything. It’s so many different reasons. And now, of course, we’re hearing about the food stamps possibly going away at the end of the month because of the government shutdown…
“Besides that, I’ve also had people reach out to me who work for the government, that are getting laid off now.”
Michelle says after the floods in July, the number they regularly serve has risen dramatically, noting that from June to September, there was an increase of 532 monthly visits, topping 1,700 last month.
A Community Effort
Michelle goes through The Oasis’ stocks shelf-by-shelf, where supplies are beginning to run low, pointing out where she can get good deals on different products, and talking about who helps the organization around town.
“We get pantry products from Lance that are about to be out of date, and they give them to us, so they don’t go to waste,” she explained, “We get pallets of water from the San Angelo Food Bank, and from Concho Valley Regional Food Bank.
“On Friday we got a large donation of clothing through the Community Action Agency (CVCAA).”
Alongside boxes of dog treats, kits packed by local elementary kids with positive messages like “you matter,” Michelle also has shopping carts loaded with winter coats and hats.
She’s getting ready for winter, and any donations help. From boxes full of travel lotions for the cold winter air, to packs of ramen that can make an impromptu hot meal.
“This whole case cost me $1.15 through the food bank, so that was a really great help. This is a good to-go meal because you can get hot water in many places. And I’ve tried them all, they’re all great,” she said.
Going through the items, she puts the cost into context and talks about making their dollars stretch. From area food banks, she can buy items at near-cost prices, but notes that those prices can fluctuate quickly.
“We’re really getting low in the pantry,” she says, “You should have seen it earlier. But when it gets down to stocking up the pantry or keeping the lights on and the doors open — providing hot meals — I’d rather do that then stock up.”
Right now, the electric bill is one of their biggest concerns, because heating and cooling the gym draws a lot of power, creating an expense of around $600 a month in the summers, and $800 in winter.
Michelle says they’ll take just about any donations from anyone, especially with winter creeping around the corner.
The Lord Provides
St. Paul’s gym has been the host to similar programs going back many years. Michelle said the current project started two years ago.
“I started here as an employee just helping, getting people out of the heat,” she said, “And gradually, I got ‘volun-told’ to pick up where it was needed. Now my name is ‘Hey, Michelle.’”
She remembers the moment that gave The Oasis its name:
“I had a homeless man come in and he loved everything. I had never seen him before, and we were trying to come up with a name for this place. He kept saying that this is an ‘Oasis’ for me, and it just made sense.
“I have not seen that gentleman again. So, I’m convinced it was the Lord telling us this is what you need to name it. Like I said, I’ve never seen him again,” she said.
During the interview, a San Antonio Food Bank delivery man arrived with an extra pallet of meat, and just in time — it’s Monday and they’re already down to just one freezer and a cooler full of meat.
“See here, the lord provides us with what we need” says Michelle, “just when we were about to run out.”
A family is entitled to one pound of meat each day while The Oasis is open, and while supplies last. On Thursday, Michelle says she starts handing out extra to help people through the weekend.
The volunteers hurry to sort it and move it into the pantry. Some of them once depended on The Oasis for their daily bread.
Volunteers and donations are needed to continue The Oasis’ mission:
Please call (325) 653-5691 or visit at 11 S. Park Street in San Angelo, TX.
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