During college years at App State, many of us have some pretty similar experiences: hanging out on Sanford when the weather is nice, cheering on the football team through the bitter cold and snow, and the occasional party filled weekend. Any typical college student usually has a pretty similar story like this right?
Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Some students will have to face the scary reality of domestic abuse or sexual violence while they’re at college.
Though it’s something we all hate to even think about, there are some great organizations that are tackling the issues head on. OASIS of Boone is one of those organizations that are working to “end the cycle of violence in Watauga and Avery Counties”. They’ve been around since 1978, and the acronym stands for Opposing Abuse with Service, Information, and Shelter. They act as a great support system and ally to anyone who has been a victim or has a loved one that dealt with these problems. During Appalachian State University’s 2015 Greek Week, OASIS is one of the organizations that were benefitted from the event. The homepage of their website, http://oasisinc.org/, features 24 hour crisis phone lines, as well as links to the services they provide. OASIS can help provide temporary free emergency shelter that also happens to be confidential to families trying to escape domestic violence. This is such a helpful option to victims that are looking to get out of a toxic environment, but have nowhere else to go. Short-term crisis counseling is also available, along with support groups and many other empowering outlets.
The organization also has a separate page specifically made for college students, and it’s perfect with a university located so close to them. A main concern for OASIS is making sure whoever needs help from them is completely comfortable, since they’ve most likely been through a pretty traumatic experience. This is why they included on and off campus resources for additional support. Students seeking help can find links to pages like App Cares and Appalachian State’s Counseling Center. These are great places to start when figuring out what to do if you or a friend has faced sexual assault or domestic violence. ASU Police contact information is also listed for both emergencies and non-emergencies, which is good to have in any situation.
If OASIS is a place you’d enjoy helping out, they have a section on their website where anyone can get involved in giving back. Visitors to the site are able to find out how to make a donation, get volunteer information, and even look in to getting an internship there! Overall, they’re doing an amazing thing for the community and helping victims gain some closure and control.