ONTARIO – When Chrissy LaChapelle opened the non-profit Oasis House in June, her cooler to store food was empty and she wasn’t sure she would be able to stock it.
Then, as word spread that a new kitchen and day shelter for the homeless was open, donations began to pour in.
“Our pantry was so full we had to get a storage unit,” said LaChapelle.
Now LaChapelle is a busy woman.
“It’s crazy but I love it,” said LaChapelle, who is the parish administrative assistant for the church.
The Oasis House at St. Matthews Episcopal Church at 802 S.W. 5th St. in Ontario and is open Monday through Thursday, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Oasis House also serves a free dinner on Tuesdays, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
LaChapelle, said if the temperatures climb above 100 degrees, the shelter opens on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
LaChapelle said the Oasis House kitchen serves between 40 to 130 meals a day to the unhoused.
“There is quite a range and it depends on the day,” she said.
LaChapelle said over the past few weeks between 30 and 40 people showed for the Tuesday night dinner.
LaChapelle said she conceived the idea to help the local homeless population in 2020. Over the years, she said, she brainstormed different ideas with friends.
In October 2023, LaChapelle said she approached the Rev. Sean Rogers of St. Matthews about renting space for a kitchen and shelter.
“He said, ‘Let’s find a way to do it.’” said LaChapelle.
LaChapelle said the shelter and kitchen operates strictly through donations. For now, the shelter does not offer showers, said LaChapelle.
She said a nine-member board of local people oversees the shelter.
The food, said LaChapelle, runs the gamut from macaroni and cheese to sausage, little pizzas to watermelon and zucchini.
“We also have a freezer in back that is just open where people can grab water any time they want,” said Lachapelle.
The unhoused who frequent the day shelter have various backgrounds, said LaChapelle.
“We have one family that had a fire post-Covid. So, the prices are so high they can’t afford to buy a home and there are absolutely no rentals,” said LaChapelle.
She said another woman who lived with her father became homeless after he died unexpectedly and the landlord kicked her out of the rented home.
“We want to bridge the gap between where people fall through the cracks. There is just such a huge need and we just want to a place where people can go,” said LaChapelle.
LaChapelle said the Oasis House kitchen also delivers food for homeless who live around town but can’t make it to the shelter.
Dan Cummings, Ontario city manager, said he has “not received a lot of complaints,” about the new shelter.
“I talked to a couple of people who had concerns but they were pleasantly surprised that they haven’t had any issues they were worried about,” he said.
Cummings said the Oasis House is “a good thing.”
“We need something here like that for sure and I’m glad somebody stepped up,” he said.
Ontario has been without a food kitchen to serve the unhoused since September, 2023, when the New Hope Kitchen at Origins Faith the homeless. The kitchen was part of state-funded services provided by Origins Faith that included help for those struggling with addiction and mental health issues.
The state terminated the subsidy because Origins Faith didn’t meet the requirements of the grant.
In October, the Oregon-Idaho Conference of the United Methodist Church announced it would take over ownership of the Origins Faith and intended, at some point, to reopen the kitchen but established no timeline on the project.
News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell at [email protected]
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