welcome to the oasis

The Oasis is a place to land and rest and regroup when you find yourself in between places. I'm the Captain, and I work at the Oasis. I was shipwrecked here about five years ago and I just can't seem to get off the island. Maybe I don't try hard enough, maybe I just like the food, maybe I can't live without the place. Who knows.

Really, the Oasis is a transitional housing program in Portland for people living with mental illness who would otherwise be facing homelessness. The people who spend time at the Oasis come from all walks of life and are all at different spots on their journeys. Some have been living with their illnesses a long time, and some are just getting to know their illnesses. Some have been homeless for years, and some are still reeling from their first nights on the streets. Some are dealing with substance use issues, and some have never seen drugs in their lives. Some have beds here, and some are just visitors.

The one thing that unites all the voices you'll see on this blog is their participation in Writing Group. Every Thursday a group of us get together and write stories about our lives and our experiences and now I'm starting this blog so other people can read the stories of the people who spend time at the Oasis. I hope to update the blog at least once a week with the new writing generated from group. We hope you enjoy what you read and come back frequently.

(Just so you know: This blog is completely anonymous and all the names you see will be pen names. Even the Oasis is a pseudonym. And, believe it or not, I'm not really called the Captain, either, though I think it would be a great nickname if I could just convice people to start using it...)