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Family coffee shop pours back into New Port Richey community

It started with a single word at 3 a.m. and has grown into a community-supporting organization.
Jerry Hekhuis and his family run the OASIS Coffee Spot.

It might sound odd to learn that Jerry and Judy Hekhuis don’t have a coffee maker in their house.

“Why do we need one at the house?” she joked from the couch of their coffee shop in New Port Richey.

In all fairness, the couple’s idea to start a coffee shop was never driven by coffee. Nor money. It was driven by a need they saw in their community.

“People come in and tell us there is peace here,” said Jerry. “We didn’t know how much fun it was going to be.”

The OASIS Coffee Spot opened in 2011. The Hekhuises, married for 32 years, decided to try and pump up the community by pouring back into it.

Jerry and Judy Hekhuis and his family run the OASIS coffee shop.

“Definitely the best coffee shop around,” said Chelsea Brinton, who drives 20 minutes to OASIS despite living five minutes from a Starbucks. “We don’t have anything like this here.”

That’s music to the ears of the Hekhuises' sons Isaiah, 29, and Noah, 23. The brothers spend a lot of their time mixing coffees behind the counter, knowing each cup could lead to more positive change in their neighborhood.

“There’s a lot of people in the area that are hurting,” said Isaiah. “There are a lot of people in the area who need a stable presence in their life and we’ve been able to be that for a lot of people.”

Jerry sat up in bed one night at 3 a.m. with an idea.

“OASIS?” he thought. “OK.”

The pastor felt like God was calling him to plant an “oasis” in the community that Jerry had been calling a “desert” for years.

“It’s just kind of a hard place to live, to raise a family, to feel prosperous or at peace.”

The message has trickled down into his family and to his customers. Regulars, like Matthew Ferro, spend many hours sitting with the Hekhuises and chatting about how coffee contributions bolster the area.

“On Sundays it doubles as a church,” he said. “They’re involved in the community quite a bit. It’s cool that their mission is two-fold in that way.”

Coffee sales are turned around and poured back into the community with things like backpacks for kids and food for the homeless. OASIS recently held a fundraiser for a woman heading to a Kenyan mission for six months.

On Fridays and Saturdays, they play live music and many performers choose to donate tips to community outreach. Jerry has been a supporter of Somebody Cares Pasco for years. His church, Good News Christian Fellowship, meets at OASIS Sunday mornings.

“We want to be a refreshing change in the community,” said Noah.

The change is starting to grow. OASIS even has a bookstore attached to the restaurant. It features the works of some local authors.

The shop that started with the word “oasis” at 3 a.m. has grown into a community-building location. On top of that, the coffee is tasty, too.

“They roast really great coffee,” said Brinton, “and they’re really nice guys.”

The OASIS Coffee Spot is located at 9213 Little Road in New Port Richey.

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