Groups & Services
- Laughter Yoga Sessions
- Oasis Senior Exercise
- Arthritis Foundation Exercise
- Oasis Pilates & YogaNatural Touch Massage
- Reflexology
- New Grievers Support Group
- Bereavement Phase II
- KinCares: Grandparents
- Raising Grandchildren
- Narcotics Anonymous
- Alanon Family Group
- Weight Watchers
- Orcutt Bridge Club
- Pinochle
- Hand & Foot
- Floral Design
- K C Club
- Ukrainian Egg Art
- Faceting & Silversmithing
- Oasis Ceramics
- Creative Arts Expressions
- Card Makers
- Independent Painters
- HAM Radio Operators
- Line Dance
- Oasis Ukulele Band
- Beginners Ukulele Class
- Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP)
- CAC Senior Nutrition Lunch
- USDA Commodities
- Oasis Members Potluck
- Oasis Pancake Breakfast
- Coast Hills Baptist Church
- Coastal Valley Soccer Club
- Los Padres Artist Guild
- Old Town Orcutt Merchants Association
- Orcutt Garden Club
- Orcutt Mineral Society
- Orcutt United Soccer League
- Orcutt View Park Homeowners Assoc.
Laughter Yoga Sessions:
Friday – 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Free of charge – Open to anyone in the community
Taught by Bill Alarid, a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader.
Scientifically proven benefits of laughter:
Relieves stress, depression, and anxiety.
Strengthens the immune system.
Increases endorphins.
Improves respiration and digestion.
Dilates blood vessels, improves circulation.
Non-strenuous, no special equipment or clothing needed! Appropriate for all ages and fitness levels!
Join us each Friday from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., in the main hall of the Luis Oasis Senior Center.
Call 937-9750 or 925-3216 for more information. The health benefits are endless!
For more information about Laughter Yoga, visit http://www.laughteryoga.org/
Try a game of bowling, tennis, or any of the “interactive” video games we have here at the Oasis, including skiing and more. The low-impact exercise received during game-play has been touted by medical researchers at the University of Toronto as an excellent fitness opportunity for seniors. In fact, playing video games can also be a form of relaxation, as repetitive activities, such as knitting or video game playing, evokes the body’s natural relaxation response.
Arthritis Foundation Exercise:
Monday & Wednesday – 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Free of charge – Open to anyone in the community
This exercise program is sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation and taught by Blanca Ponce, Certified Instructor. This program first came to the Oasis in 1999, through Barbara Westbrook and the Arthritis Foundation. There are now 45 members, and all who attend find the class delightful and active, with cheerful music and games. The purpose of this class is to increase strength and flexibility through range of motion exercises.
For more information about the Arthritis Foundation visit http://www.arthritis.org/
Oasis Pilates & Yoga for Older Adults:
Tuesday & Thursday – 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
$2.50 per class – Open to anyone over 50 years of age
This class focuses on stretch and relaxation, to strengthen the core muscles of the body, helping to prevent back pain and to gain flexibility and balance. Taught by Chris Fisher, Certified Yoga & Pilates Instructor.
Natural Touch Massage:
Monday – 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
$30 per half hour for anyone over 50 years of age
Presented by Emilio Espinoza, Certified Massage Therapist and Health Educator. He would like to honor the senior citizens in our community by offering them an all time low senior citizen discount rate of $30 per half hour massage. Mr. Espinoza specializes in aroma therapy, Shiatsu, Deep Tissue and Swedish Massages among other healing techniques. Please take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to heal your body and sooth your mind. As an extra perk, he offers an additional $10 off during your birthday week!
Call the Oasis Office at 937-9750 to make your appointment.
New Grievers Support Group:
Wednesdays – 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Free of charge – Open to anyone who has suffered a recent significant loss
This grief group provides support and counseling from Certified Grief Counselors for those who are newly bereaved. Anyone who has suffered a recent significant loss is welcome to join. The main facilitator is Patty Bennett, Certified Grief Counselor. This is a support group that will help you go through the stages of grief while minimizing your suffering. Please come and join if you are in need of this valuable group of supporters.
Bereavement Phase II:
Thursdays – 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Free of charge – Open to anyone who has suffered the loss of a significant other
Bereavement Phase II, which used to be known as the Good Grievers, focuses on living life after loss. They do not discuss their grief directly, but rather focus on making friends and having a blast! They meet each Thursday at 1 p.m., in Heck Hall of the Luis Oasis Senior Center. Call Annie O’Riley at 805-934-2099, or 805-937-9750, for more information.
KinCares:
Second Wednesday of each month – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Free of charge – Open to the community
This is a support group for grandparents raising grandchildren. Facilitated by Colleen Sinclair. This support group meets once per month, on the second Wednesday of each month. Anyone in the community who is raising their grandchild or grandchildren may join this group, free of charge. You may contact Colleen Sinclair at 452-2896 for more information.
Narcotics Anonymous:
Mondays – 8 p.m.
Free of charge – Not an Oasis Class
Alanon Family Group
Weight Watchers
Senior Nutrition Lunch:
Monday through Friday – 11:30 a.m.
$3.00 suggested donation for seniors 60+ years of age and over – Open to the community. These lunches are provided by the Community Action Commission (CAC) of Santa Barbara County. For more information on these lunches or on the Community Action Commission, visit their web site at http://www.cacsb.com/
The Oasis Commodities Program is run by Alexina Tyo, a retired Professor who is just over 90 years old. Her team of a dozen senior citizen volunteers comes together on the third Thursday of each month, to purchase food from the Foodbank of SB County, sort and bag it, and hand it out to over 170 low-income families in our community. Eligibility is based on income.
Second Monday of each month – 6 p.m.
This monthly activity, held at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of each month, is also the monthly Oasis Membership meeting. The annual election for new Board Members takes place during the May Potluck. Each person is asked to bring a dish, as well as their place setting. There is always live entertainment, and door prizes. It is free to all Members and guests. Miss Doreen Page, Board Member and long time Oasis volunteer, is currently the Chair person for the Potluck committee.
Second Saturday of each month – 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
This breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month. The Oasis Pancake Breakfast crew have been serving here for years. This breakfast double as a small fundraiser for the Center, as well as a fun social activity for our Members. Lois Davis is currently the Chairperson, and a crew of around half a dozen senior citizen volunteers prepare, serve, and clean up for the breakfast. The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children. Anyone can come and enjoy!
Floral Design:
Not currently being offered.
This class is taught by Miss E. W. Dickson. There is a Materials Fee of $80 for this course, which works with fresh flowers and plants. Build on skills learned in Beginning Floral Design by practicing new techniques while refining your eye for design. Continue exploring color, line, texture, and shape. Experiment with new ideas and watch your confidence and creativity bloom. Students create arrangements to take home weekly.
Ukrainian Egg Art:
Not currently meeting - expected to start again January 2012
This class is taught by Beth Ostapuik. This class first came to the Oasis in the Spring 2006. The purpose of this class is to learn a new cultural art form. There is a $10 materials fee, and students must purchase their own supplies. The class has donated painted eggs for silent auctions and prizes, and they are truly works of art. Explore the traditional Ukrainian techniques of applying fine lines of wax and layers of vibrant dyes to real eggs to create these beautiful Pysankas. Learn the basic patterns, processes, and procedures from start to finish. To learn more about Ukrainian Egg Art, visit the following two web sites, http://www.ukrainianegg.com/frontpg.htm & http://ukrainianeggart.com/
Faceting & Silversmithing:
Mondays & Fridays – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This class was started by Professor Brandon Marshall who passed away this last year. His students continue to meet twice a week, learning from each other, and continue to do beautiful work. They work with metals and raw stones, faceting the stones and working the metals into intricate patterns. Individuals enroll in this class to learn the skills used to make jewelry. Each member must obtain their materials and tools, so the cost varies.
Oasis Ceramics:
Fridays – 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The Oasis Ceramics class was started by Mrs. Rosemary Hill in 1985. We have a kiln in the back room, and numerous supplies to work with. Students work with fresh clay as well as with pre made items. They make ceramics and paint them, and are charged a minimal fee for kiln use. The class is led by Carol Rodriguez, who is also responsible for kiln upkeep and usage. The class is held Friday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon.
Creative Arts Expressions:
Tuesdays – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This group of avid painters meets every Tuesday afternoon. These painters simply cannot let a week go by without getting together to paint and critique. It is free to the community, and everyone is welcome. Students bring their own supplies, and there is no formal instructor.
Card Makers:
Tuesdays – 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
This group takes used greeting cards of all kinds, cuts out the usable parts, and using card stock and construction papers, makes new greeting cards out of the old. This class has been going since 2000, and is a great asset to the Oasis. Not only is the activity fun and enticing for those in the group, but the beautiful cards these ladies make are donated to the Oasis, then sold for 75 cents apiece. We encourage the community and our Members to donate their old greeting cards.
HAM Radio Operators:
Monday – 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
This group first started meeting at the Oasis in the late 80s or early 90s, led by Jack Tyo, Alexina’s late husband. There were originally 50 to 60 members, who got together to chat and trade ideas and equipment. Ernie Sloan is the current coordinator, and the group is currently down to less than a dozen members. The group meets on Mondays at 8:30 a.m. There is no cost to join, and no membership required by the group. The group donates weekly to the Oasis.
Line Dance
Wednesday 6:30 p.m.
There is currently a private Line Dance class on Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. (costs $5 per week), and one through Hancock on Monday evenings (for free to the community). Both are taught by Jeannette and Henry Bergeron. The purpose is to socialize, exercise, and learn new line dances. There are currently around 20 students in each class.
Oasis Ukulele Band:
Monday & Thursday – 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Oasis Ukulele Band: Wednesday – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This band was started by Ben Tromp in 2003, with 8 members. There are currently 30 members. Dave Renshaw, from the band, teaches Ukulele class here at the Center on Wednesdays, at noon, right before the band practices from 1p.m. to 4 p.m. in our main hall. , as an additional activity for Seniors and the Center; learning to play the Ukulele, providing entertainment to the community. Mr. Ray Reynante, from Hawaii, currently leads the band. They play for many community events, for non-profits and senior citizen organizations, as well as for luaus.
HICAP
HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program) provides free and objective information and counseling about Medicare. Volunteer counselors can help you understand your specific rights and health care options. HICAP also offers free educational presentations to groups of Medicare beneficiaries, their families and/or providers on a variety of Medicare and other health insurance related topics. More about HICAP…
Oasis Bridge Club:
Monday – 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Maureen Rice began this club at the Oasis 24 years ago. They play at the Oasis on Mondays, 12 noon to 4 p.m. There is a turnover of members, but the club membership remains at around 30, where it began. The current coordinators are Diane Rudy and Barbara Frickelton. The cost is $1 per week. The purpose of this club is for socialization and mental exercise.
Pinochle Card Players:
Thursday – 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Pinochle is a trick-taking game typically for two, three or four players and played with a 48 card deck. Players score points by trick-taking and also by forming combinations of cards into melds.Each hand is played in three phases: bidding, melds, and tricks.
Hand & Foot Card Players:
Friday – 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This is a card game based on Canasta - easy to learn and easy to play. Anyone is welcome to join the group. You do not need to be a member of the Oasis to play.
Coast Hills Baptist Church
Coastal Valley Soccer Club
Los Padres Artist Guild
Narcotics Anonymous:
Monday – 8 p.m.
Free of charge – Not an Oasis Class
Old Town Orcutt Merchants Association
Orcutt Garden Club
Third Tuesday of each month – 7 p.m. from September through May.
Guests are welcome. Info: Betty 934-5772.
Orcutt View Park Homeowners Association
Orcutt Mineral Society
Orcutt United Soccer League
Orcutt Area Seniors In Services, Inc. P.O. Box 2637, Santa Maria, California 93457
Telephone: 805-937-9750, Fax: 805-937-0440
E-Mail: information@oasisorcutt.org
- Oasis Gad-Abouts
- Nintendo WII Fit
Oasis Senior Exercise:
Monday, Wednesday & Friday – 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
$20 per month – Open to anyone over 50 years of age
This aerobics and strength training exercise class is
taught by instructor Lisa Griffith. She encourages her students to do the exercises at their own ability and agility levels, but keeps everyone motivated with upbeat music, jokes, and more. The main purpose of this class is to increase cardiovascular strength, strengthen muscles and bones, and improve balance, all while having fun to lively music. New students may come in to try the class out, and if they decide to sign up they can do so after the class, by speaking with Lisa Griffith.
Nintendo WII Fit:
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., and Fridays Noon to 2 p.m.
Unlike traditional hand-held video games, where users sit on the couch exercising little more than their thumbs, the Nintendo Wii (pronounced "we") features digital sensors that let users virtually play the game.
Reflexology:
Alternate Tuesdays – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
$15 per half hour session – Open to anyone in the community
Presented by Janice Lewis, Certified Reflexologist, through the International Institute of Reflexology. Reflexology is a holistic approach to relieving stress and promoting relaxation, through targeted massage of the hands and feet. For more information about Reflexology, visit
Oasis Commodities Hand-Outs:
Third Thursday of each month – 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Free of charge – For anyone in the community who qualifies as “low-income” by Federal guidelines,
USDA Commodities are donated to us through the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, and Oasis purchases vegetables, breads, pastries, meats, dairy products, and other food from the Foodbank as well. To learn more about the Foodbank, visit their web site at
Painting In Oil & Acrylics:
Tuesdays – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This class is instructed by Shirley Wallace, local artist and art instructor. This class is free to the community, and focuses on group involvement in critiquing of painting techniques. The purpose of this class is to improve and expand the students’ skill through working with and being critiqued by other artists. Beginning through experienced painters who wish to work with oils and acrylic media are welcome.
K. C. Club:
Wednesdays – 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
This class focuses on all needle arts. It was first taught here in the 1990’s, and is still quite popular, with beautiful work being done by the participants, many of whom have donated their hand-made beauties to the Oasis. Learn basic through advanced knitting and crochet stitches and their combinations, how to read patterns, how to make garments, plus other needle arts as requested. Materials and project ideas are discussed at the first class. The K.C. Club was formerly Crochet & Knitting group from Alan Hancock College. All experience levels welcome.
Oasis Gad-Abouts:
Do you ever feel like you just want to get away for the day? Join the Oasis Gad-Abouts today and enjoy some fun day- trips to nearby locations. Each Gad-About trip will have fees based on the activities planned for the specific trip you attend. Often the trip fee includes lunch, event admission fees, and roundtrip transportation from the Luis Oasis Senior Center.
The Oasis Gad-Abouts is a service of the Luis Oasis Senior Center. Non members of the Oasis are welcome to participate but will be required to pay a $5 fee to cover event insurance.
Here are examples of recent Oasis Gad-About trips:
Monterey Mushrooms Farm & Avila Beach Sea Life Center
Morro Bay Murder Mystery Dinner Cruise
Old Mission Santa Barbara
Ganna Walska Lotusland Tour & Gourmet Dining
Copyright 2008-2011
