Oasis Women’s Shelter is opening a new chapter in 2024 as they approach the completion of their new facility.
They moved into the location in September of 2022, and Director Andrea Robinson said they met all of their client’s needs during this transition. Robinson said previous housing was communal living, whereas now, they can accommodate families staying in their own apartment setting.
Oasis Women’s Shelter keeps the location private for their clients’ safety.
The search for a new location was sparked in 2021 when they learned their lease with the Housing Authority of Owensboro was ending. The shelter serves clients throughout the GRADD 7-county area.
Robinson said they still offer a 25-bed communal living area that will be part of their orientation phase to allow the clients to adjust to life at the shelter. Not relying on communal living as the primary style will be effective as it prevents a clash in living styles.
“Some of the benefits to that is that if you have a person that’s in active recovery, being roomed with someone in active addiction can be triggering for them,” Robinson said. “… It makes shelter feel a little bit safer and more secure. Because you’re not having to share space in that same way.”
Robinson said they moved in and began construction immediately after they purchased the facility over a year ago. Since they introduced the new style of living, Robinson said they are seeing clients stabilize quicker to shelter life than before.
“I think we see that they have less reason to want to leave shelter. So they can be in our program and stabilize a little quicker,” Robinson said.
Robinson noticed that individual living allows the client(s) to focus on their recovery journey with their programming and the counselor they have. This also advances their recovery journey faster, she said. It also allows families to live together without the concern of sharing the space with others at different life stages.
They still offer the same programming as before in the new facility. Currently, Oasis provides counseling services, emergency services, community education, referrals for substance abuse treatment, individual counseling, crisis intervention, and legal advocacies.
The three-phase program centers around providing the clients a sense of structure as they receive their services and new environment.
The Shelter is also hosting an auction until January 14 to raise funds for their mission.
For more information on their services and programming, go to their website or contact Oasis at 270-685-0260 or 1-800-882-2873.
