Coffee Oasis offers a java jolt while aiding Pierce and Kitsap homeless
In September, I enjoyed a guided tour of the Bremerton Coffee Oasis Burwell location, something I had never heard of. My guides were Nick Jones and wife, Branda, and their kids, Rhylie, Parker, and Reese.
“Changing the world for homeless youth is the Coffee Oasis’ slogan,” explained Nick. “To the people who own it, the people who work there, and the volunteers who give their time and love to the underprivileged kids of our community it is heartwarming. It is a faith based, non-profit organization that has the desire and vision to help kids all over the state of Washington.
”Not only do they employ baristas to make delicious coffee — the espresso milkshake is where it’s at! — they have individuals who help youth get registered for school, attend counseling, or even arrange for job internships.
”Our family was introduced to Coffee Oasis through our neighbor who attended its church. She had been taking our oldest daughter with her every Sunday for about one and a half years until we decided to go and see what it was all about. The Refuge church is lead by Pastor Dave Fredrick, and his son Pastor Daniel Fredrick. We were impressed and almost shocked that they accepted anyone, from any walk of life or background with sincere open arms and did it with love. To say they are exceptional people would be an understatement. We soon began to learn about their mission through the Coffee Oasis and decided to volunteer and give back when or however we could. We have three busy kids, and unfortunately over the last year or so, we have been unable to give back as much as we would like.”
The Jones believe Coffee Oasis is a place every town or city needs. A place for at risk youth to go to to feel safe and loved is priceless.
”I know the Coffee Oasis is a place that fundraises money to help homeless kids,” said son Parker, 8. “I think they are really important because some people don’t have homes or a lot of food or even Christmas presents and they help the kids who don’t have that stuff. They also help kids get help when they don’t have any parents to care for them.”
Said sister Reese, 7, “The Coffee Oasis is a place that sells coffee so they can make money to help homeless kids. I like that the Coffee Oasis helps kids who don’t have a family or sometimes food to eat. That makes me happy. My mom worked at the Coffee Oasis in Poulsbo for a little bit and I loved going there to eat the yummy food and drink the espresso milkshakes!”
Eric, the coffee roaster for The Coffee Oasis, said, “I became a roaster initially because I was given a job and I didn’t have a job at the time so I figured, ‘Hey why not try it out?’ Turns out I had an unknown passion for it. Didn’t even like coffee at the time, but I developed a taste for it rather quickly. Initially I loved roasting because I have a passion for it, but I believe God really put me here to roast for the homeless youth. The proceeds to every bag I make goes to them so not only am I bagging delicious coffee, but it contributes to a worthy cause.”
To Rhylie Jones, 11, “The Coffee Oasis helps homeless kids. They have done a lot of different fundraisers and programs to help kids who go to the Coffee Oasis. They even did a fundraiser to help kids go to camp! A lot of the people from the Refuge Church volunteer at the teen shelters or help with the fundraisers. The Coffee Oasis is special and important because it gives the at-risk youth in our communities an opportunity to make connections with people who truly care about them.”
Jessa Jeter, Coffee Oasis Donor Care & Data Specialist for Community Development/Kitsap and Pierce Counties, wants to to help spread the word of what The Coffee Oasis does to more folks out on the Key and Gig Harbor Peninsulas. She is a lifelong resident of Olalla, except for a four year stint at Occidental College for her B.A. in Cognitive Science and Group Languages. While at Oxy, she worked numerous jobs in the field of institutional advancement, in particular in prospect research and data management.
”I started at The Coffee Oasis in August 2020.” said Jeter. “In my position I do a medley of things, including donor calls and donation thank you’s, managing and maintaining our databases, conducting prospect research to help determine ways to increase giving in our community, and running reports to get a better idea of our overall donor profile. Essentially, it’s a lot of behind-the-scenes support for the community development team.”
”I was drawn to Coffee O as, especially in the world we’re all currently living in, it is important to me to help support an organization that is doing real, tangible good in the community that I am directly part of. Being only 22 years old, these are my peers whose lives are being changed for the better thanks to The Coffee Oasis. H
Nick and Branda Jones encourage everyone to, “Join us virtually for our 7th Annual Hope Gala! Saturday, October 17, at 5:30 pm. ONLINE AUCTION. Silent Auction opened Monday, October 12. Live Auction: Items will be available during our live stream event on October 17. You will be able to live-stream the event October 17 at 5:30pm on YouTube. Register for Online Auction
The Coffee Oasis “Changing the World for Homeless Youth” www.thecoffeeoasis.com
For more info, contact Jessa Jeter, Community Development/Kitsap & Pierce Donor Care & Data Specialist, The Coffee Oasis, 253-232-5004 or jessa.jeter@thecoffeeoasis.com
This story was originally published October 14, 2020 at 11:30 AM.