TAMPA — As students prepare to return to school following two devastating hurricanes, there is a growing need for clothes and supplies. According to the non-profit organization Oasis Opportunities, for many of these families, it’s the first time they’ve ever had to ask for help.
Oasis Opportunities provides hygiene items and clothing to about 500 students across Hillsborough County during an average month. However, they say that number has doubled since the past two hurricanes.
“Our families in a normal year, without two hurricanes, we have about 87 percent of our kids in Hillsborough County that are economically disadvantaged, families living paycheck to paycheck,” said founder Dawn Schulman.
“Now that our families have been hit by two hurricanes within the span of a month we have families that have never needed these basic necessities before or had to look where they can find these basic necessities.”
Dawn says preparing for double the students has been a real community effort, considering their offices and warehouse lost power for days during Hurricane Milton.
“So two of us opened up our homes, and I actually had my whole neighborhood at my house sorting donations in my driveway, making sure that we would have as many items as possible,” said Schulman.
Any family with students in need is encouraged to go directly to their school social worker, who will then go through Oasis Opportunities to get those supplies into the hands of these families.
“Every school in Hillsborough County has a school social worker assigned to them and they will be ready and waiting to go,” said Schulman.
Schulman says now more than ever, they are looking for the community’s support, and they are receiving it. In the past few days, she’s seen an increase in donations. She says these students will appreciate it.
“Getting a new outfit, getting brand new hygiene items they don’t have to share with everyone in the family is a real pickup, a boost, it’s a joy, it gives them hope to know that we can move past these hurricanes,” said Schulman.
For more information on Oasis Opportunities and how to donate, go to www.oasisopportunities.org.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
