Oasis’ 2024 Fresno Community Open House

There are an estimated 60,000 undocumented queer and trans immigrants in California, with at least 10,000 undocumented LGBTQ+ immigrants in the Central Valley.

Since opening our doors in Berkeley in 2017, we have always had clients from the Central Valley who would travel many hours to the Bay Area just to meet with our team. Our presence in Fresno would not have happened but for the explicit demand of LGBTQ+ immigrants living in the area expressing a need for our services. In 2022, with community support and a grant award from the California Access to Justice Commission, we were able to open our Fresno office, making it easier for LGBTQ+ immigrants in the Central Valley to access our services. By the end of 2023, about 15% of our new California clients reside in the Central Valley, emphasizing the importance of our Fresno office.

To celebrate our two-year anniversary in Fresno, we hosted our first-ever Community Open House fundraiser at the historic Tower Theatre Lounge on Thursday, April 11. The intention was to gather with our friends and allies (old and new!) and showcase everything that we have accomplished in Fresno so far, and explore what we can still achieve together in the years to come.

We were joined by local political leaders, partners from immigrant coalitions, organizational allies, and close friends to celebrate Oasis and our LGBTQ+ immigrant community. Our Open House featured video updates about our programming and speeches from individual staff members who work at our Fresno office.

Each year we support over 50 queer and trans immigrants from the Central Valley as they apply for asylum, navigate social services, and pursue a path towards citizenship and permanent safety. We are incredibly grateful for all the support in helping us extend and sustain our reach in Fresno and surrounding counties in the Central Valley. Together, we raised over $5,000 thanks to our wonderful community partners and the over 60 community members in attendance.

We had an amazing time meeting new faces and seeing our friends gather over food and drinks as we showcased our accomplishments in the Central Valley. Our team was moved to witness the Central Valley community show up and engage in discussions with folks who offered partnerships, ideas, and resources in support of our work to protect queer and trans immigrants. We are excited to explore these new relationships and to see how much more we can accomplish!

We would love to thank our sponsors and supporters from local businesses, organizations, and community leaders, whose unwavering support was pivotal in helping us raise awareness and funds for our clients. Their generosity and dedication to driving social change within the Central Valley make us proud to be their partners.

Partner Level Sponsors