Oasis

Empowering youth, transforming lives

A house of hope for Sydney’s vulnerable youth, since 1992, Oasis has been more than just a shelter — it has been a safe place where young people facing homelessness, addiction, and adversity find a helping hand. From providing a safe place to sleep, to offering counselling, education, and support, Oasis walks alongside over 200 young people every year, guiding them towards a brighter tomorrow.

As the challenges of youth homelessness increase across Australia, Oasis has the unique opportunity to continue to serve the community. However, our facilities now need a rehaul — a revitalization of the space so we can better meet current needs, and modernize our approach to care. A redeveloped Oasis will create a rejuvenated sanctuary where young people can find the support they need to become empowered and resilient people for a brighter tomorrow.

Renewing hope for future generations

What is Oasis?

Located in Surry Hills, Oasis is The Salvation Army’s youth response in Sydney’s inner city. This facility has been supporting young people experiencing complex support needs since 1992 through a range of different programs and services, including crisis and transitional accommodation, Alcohol and other drug services, counselling, education, training, justice, early intervention and prevention programs.

What challenges does the site face?

Youth homelessness is a growing concern in New South Wales. The current crisis accommodation facilities at Oasis were designed to be congregate care, with shared bathrooms, kitchen, lounge, dining and laundries, which is incongruent with modern standards and no longer considered best practice. The building’s design is making it more challenging to support youth in need.

Additionally, Oasis is ageing, with electrical, air conditioning and amenities negatively impacting our ability to deliver the benefits of new models of care. The increasing cost of staffing and maintaining the facility prevents The Salvation Army from investing in service expansion to meet the rising needs of young people across New South Wales.

What is our plan?

Your generosity will revolutionise Oasis and Oasis College (located onsite), enhancing its ability to serve as a safe haven for young people seeking support by transforming the current communal care setup into modernised, self-contained units, as well as multi-functional areas, thereby increasing the capacity of Oasis to deliver assistance with essential life skills, education and training opportunities, case management, counselling and outreach services.

A unique aspect of this plan is the opportunity to include a commercial element to the site which can yield commercial financial returns, thereby helping support the recurrent funding needs of Oasis, and allow The Salvation Army Youth services to invest in additional support for young people across the state.

How will this revitalisation benefit the community?

A transformed Oasis has the potential to positively impact young people, their families and communities. A fit-for-purpose Oasis that allows The Salvation Army to implement its new model of care will help young people to explore opportunities, enhance their resilience and self-determination, build support networks and access, participate and contribute to their communities.

This revitalisation will also offer targeted support for young people from marginalised communities such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and young people from LGBTIQA+ communities, helping curb systemic and inter-generational social issues.

Youth services

The Salvation Army offer an integrated suite of targeted programs engaging with young people across Australia on their journey to independence.

These programs create intentional avenues for young people to explore opportunities, build support networks and access, participate and contribute to their communities.

Get involved

Your compassionate contribution to Oasis holds the power to transform the lives of vulnerable youth in our community. With your support, we can provide a lifeline to young individuals facing adversity, offering them a safe haven where they can find guidance, support, and a renewed sense of hope.

Together, we can ensure that every young person has the opportunity to thrive and unlock their full potential, creating a brighter future for generations to come.

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