Our History

 The Family Resource Center, officially called the Oxford Talawanda Community Services, Inc. (OTCS), is a 501(c)3 designated organization that operates in Oxford, OH. Founded in 1956 by the Welfare Committee of Oxford Federation of Clubs. Members of this committee, including members of various local service and religious organizations, consolidated funding and their donation collection efforts to serve needy families residing in the Talawanda School District of Oxford. Food, clothing, and funds were raised within the community to assist local families with basic needs, including rent, utilities, and medication.

In 1978, this agency gained its not for profit designation under the name Oxford Advisory Welfare Service (OAWS). In the early 1980s, it operated out of a temporary office located in the Oxford Municipal Building, on XX street. Its services were expanded to provide advice, information, make requests for emergency financial assistance, and to access donations of food and clothing.

In 1983, the Oxford Presbyterian Church provided a property on 108 East Church Street as a permanent site for OAWS. In 1985, the Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE) Program began providing literacy services and free GED classes. OAWS became a popular site for volunteer service among Miami University students and other community volunteers. The agency quickly began to grow out of its space and overflow of material donations were sent off-site.

In 1996, the Oxford community began to develop a 'self-sufficiency service model' in response to recent welfare-reform laws that impacted its client base. The OAWS board of trustees changed the legal name of the agency to The Oxford Family Resource Center (OFRC). In 1997, the agency moved to its current location at 5445 College Corner Pike. The new location provided better office space for the ABLE Program as well as the newly introduced Oxford Head Start Program. Over the next several years, private and public social service partnerships were forged to provide supportive services to the low-income families in the community. An Ohio Job Links site operated from this site for several years. Supports to Encourage Low Income Families (SELF) also began meeting with OFRC clients at this new location to provide self-sufficiency related programming to the community.

In 2000, the mortgage on the new site was paid off when Tri-State Habitat for Humanity purchased part of the property to develop four homes. In 2002, “Oxford” was dropped from the business name, and the agency became the Family Resource Center (FRC). In 2005, the agency was involved with several local initiatives that significantly expanded its reach, including the Oxford/College Corner Free Clinic, ShareFest Oxford, and Oxford/Talawanda Dental Services. Through partnerships with representatives from the United Way, the Talawanda School District, McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital, and Miami University, FRC clients were assisted with pediatric dentistry, homelessness, free furniture and house wares, free school supplies, and children’s holiday gift purchases. Many of these partnerships continue in some form today.

In 2008, the Oxford Head Start Program moved from the FRC site to Kramer Elementary; The vacated building became the FRC thrift store and the area adjacent became the Oxford Community Gardens. In 2015, The Greater Cincinnati Community Foundation provided funding for the thrift store to be moved to the largest of FRC's three buildings. Building 3 provided the thrift store with additional retail space and more visibility from the main road. FRC's social service offices moved to Building 2, and the old thrift store became the current Donation Intake Center.

In 2019, the donation center and thrift store (building 1 and 3) were closed to accomodate TOPSS, the local food pantry to that location.