The Oasis Center for Women and Girls has moved from its home on Call Street after 17 years. The nonprofit held an open house in the old building to say goodbye.
Kelly Otte, the founder and executive director, says Oasis will continue to offer after-hours counseling for women, including free childcare, and support groups for moms, not only in-house but at the Leon County Detention Center and the Kearney Center emergency shelter.
She says many of the factors that keep women and girls from succeeding are the same after all this time. But she also sees a difference.
“And now my daughter teaches middle-school history," says Otte. "And so all those women that she learned about over the last 17 years are now just a standard part of who she is and what she does. And I think that shows the evolution of how the women’s movement has worked and how even Oasis has evolved and changed.”
The Oasis “Girls Can Do Anything” summer camp starts at the end of May for 8 weeks. Otte says its purpose is to show 22 girls a week anything that would make them think ‘I can do this.’
The new location is 3064 Highland Oaks Terrace and the website is theoasiscenter.net.