This Week's Most Needed Items: Diapers and School Supplies!

It's all about the kids this week at Fishline! 

Our most needed items this week include:

Diapers, sizes 3, 4, 5 & 6

School supplies:

Glue sticks
Colored Pencils
Looseleaf paper-college & wide rule
Composition books
Pencil pouches
Plastic supply boxes
Washable Color Markers
Pens (blue & black)
Pens (red)
#2 Pencils
Erasers (pink pearl)
Spiral paper –college & wide rule
Pocket folders
3 Ring binders
Metal edge rulers
Backpacks


Click here to see all of our drop-off locations!

A Special Thank You to Our Volunteers As We Celebrate ONE YEAR of Fishbucks!

On July 16, 2012, our new Fishbucks Front Market was launched. After 6 weeks of intense evaluation, planning and coordination, the front doors opened and clients entered an entirely different shopping experience. Picking up a shopping basket, they strolled through the widened aisles and took their time wisely spending the new Fishbucks currency. They noticed the sales on the cool black dry-erase board, they enjoyed seeing the food beautifully displayed and smiled when they saw the prices written on the cooler doors.

 
Right from the start, we knew we had a winning system. Clients immediately expressed their appreciation at the fairness of the system, knowing more food would be available later in the day because no one could take too much. The relief they felt in not having people question their food choices or limit their options was evident on their faces - clients just looked like they were enjoying shopping. Families could shop together and whenever they needed to, another improvement. When we won the 2013 Food Lifeline Award for Client Excellence for our Fishbucks system, it was another confirmation that we were moving in the right direction.

 

We could have never guessed that the system would work so well right from the start without any significant modifications. But the thorough planning of our Fishbucks team combined with the resourcefulness of staff and volunteers has made it possible for adjustments to be made without interruption for our clients.

Many thanks to all those involved in bringing this idea into reality. Our Fishbucks team worked hard and with great dedication to plan and implement this new distribution model. Their thoughts were always on the client experience, and it shows. We also owe a great debt of gratitude to all the volunteers who rolled with the new system, even though it takes more work to price items and keep the food flowing all day. And all along the way, little improvements were made to smooth out the wrinkles, like wonderful new laminated price tags, a new system to attach them and a clever box of little drawers that hold similar price tags together, improvements made by the volunteers.

Congratulations to you on this anniversary, and thanks to all of you for your unwavering commitment to the service of those who need our help. You are a treasure and a reminder that love and goodness is alive and well in this community.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and our Fishline staff, --Mary

North Point Church Announces the First of Their Hunger Hero Events!

NK Fishline is happy to introduce North Point Church as one of our Hunger Heroes!  Fishline services are needed all year, so we want to encourage a steady influx of food drives and events to meet those needs. By identifying and organizing this activity through the Hunger Heroes campaign, we hope to fill our calendar so that those in need in our community are cared for all year long. 

North Point Church has stepped up to meet that need, and has planned monthly events throughout the year that focus on creating a constant conversation about the ways that people can help those in need in our community.  North Point has been a long time supporter of our food bank.  As the main sponsor of Big Band Dance near the holidays, the event draws in over $5,000 and is typically our biggest fundraiser aside from those arranged by Fishline.  We are pleased to highlight all of these planned events as part of our Hunger Heroes calendar.

In July, North Point will be a weekend drop-off location for one of our most needed items:  fresh garden vegetables.  A wagon will be available to collect items at the entry of the church and on Sundays, when our food bank is normally closed and cannot accept donations. Feel free to come in and have a donut and coffee when dropping off your fresh produce!!

In August, the church will begin to collect supplies for our School Supply Drive and food for our Food for Thought Program.  Stay tuned to hear more about all that North Point has planned!

2nd Annual Poulsbo Brew Crawl for NK Fishline

Poulsbo’s 3 breweries are all well known for supporting non-profits and this summer all three are hoping to raise the most money for Fishline.

How it works: 

Purchase 10 stamp Passport at Slippery Pig, Sound Brewery or Valholl Brewing for $5.00 (donation to Fishline). 

Every time you buy a beer at any of these Breweries you get a stamp (4 for a Growler).   The Brewery will donate .50 cents to Fishline for each stamp. 

The Brewery with the most stamps turned in on August 17th wins a BBQ at that Brewery.  Your filled in passport is both an invitation to the BBQ and a raffle ticket for a multitude of beer related prizes.

The BBQ will be held on August 25, 2013.  Invitations and directions will be sent via e-mail.

Contact: Facebook  “Poulsbo Brew Crawl”  or info@marinamarket.cominfo@marinamarket.com for more information! 

NK Fishline Now Accepting School Supply Donations! ~ Updated Post!

Each year, North Kitsap Fishline’s School Supply Program provides children in need with basic school supplies for the upcoming school year.  This program serves many families in the area and it's success depends on you!

The cost of sending students back to school adds to family budgets that are already stretched thin and some are unable to purchase items needed for their children. We greatly appreciate your efforts in helping us meet our goals this year to provide school supplies for those children.

Fishline’s School Supply Program is accepting donations for the 2013 school year until through Aug. 16. 

Donations can be dropped off at these local businesses:

North Kitsap Fishline 18916 NE Third Ave
Second Seasons Thrift Shop     18825 Anderson Parkway
Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce 19351 8th Avenue, Suite 108
Poulsbo Parks and Rec. 19540 Front Street NE
City of Poulsbo 200 NE Moe St. 3rd floor
Starbuck’s    21505 Market Place, NW #101
Edward Jones    19740 7th Ave. NE
Edward Jones    18887 St. Hwy 305 NE
Edward Jones   19032 Jensen Way
Edward Jones   20270 Front St.
Timberland Bank   20464 Viking Ave.
Front Street Clinic 20174 Front Street NE
Fujiyama Japanese Steak House & Bar 9989 Silverdale Way, Ste 109 (Silverdale)

Betty Skinner Allstate Insurance 4181 Wheaton Way, (Bremerton) 

Would your business like to be a collection location for school supplies?  Contact us today!  School supply drives or any large quantity donations should arrange a drop-off day and time with Kathy Smith, volunteer school supply coordinator. Call (360) 598-6282 to make arrangements.
 
School supplies needed include: 

Glue sticks
Colored Pencils
Looseleaf paper-college & wide rule
Composition books
Pencil pouches
Plastic supply boxes
Washable Color Markers
Pens (blue & black)
Pens (red)
#2 Pencils
Erasers (pink pearl)
Spiral paper –college & wide rule
Pocket folders
3 Ring binders
Metal edge rulers
Backpacks

If you would like to sign up to receive school supplies, we will be accepting requests at the food bank from July 30 to August 16.  Children must be attending a North Kitsap School and you must be registered as a Fishline client. 

Letter from the Director: Creating a Community of Second Chances

When Jason sat down with our Housing Solutions Center Navigator, he told the kind of story that, when you hear it, you go home and hug your kids and say a prayer of thanks that your life is not like this.  Jason lost his parents, one when he was 13 and one when he was 14, after which he went to live with his elderly aunt.  Feeling he had become a burden to her at her age, he left when he was 18 and tried to live on his own.  Jason has mental health issues and is learning impaired, so finding work wasn't easy and taking care of himself often confusing.  Jason's sister was lost in a drug addiction and couldn't help him.

So he became homeless, living in his car and making choices that led him into trouble.  When he broke into a local home to get some shoes, he was arrested and faced jail time.  He was released on probation only after he promised the judge that he would try to find a place to live and any type of work.  Problem is, when you have anything on your record, most will not rent to you or employ you.  Fishline had few options for Jason.

For most of us, our histories are benign and ordered.  We don't have evictions or convictions that would impede our progress or require us to face unthinkable choices.  But for those who made a wrong decision or a grave mistake, the future can be a scary place.  Most housing options, including shelters, are out of the question for anyone with a recent record.  And that is completely understandable.  Like our housing navigator said, "If you were a landlord, would you want to take a chance and rent to someone who's been in trouble?  I wouldn't."  But the nagging question remains - if no one takes a chance to help someone like this, is it any surprise they end up on a corner with a sign?

Fishline has been noticing an increase in these types of hard-to-solve housing problems.  Ex-inmates released from prison with little possibility of work or a home.  Residents with mental health problems but with no available advocacy or guidance.  Homeowners or renters who have been evicted, which can drastically reduce the possibilities of a home in the future.  And the most common scenario, residents living on Social Security or Disability in an county that has a severe shortage of low-cost housing.

It may be a temptation to think that these are people chose their lot in life and should suffer the consequences.  But when we look back on our lives, most of us can recall when we made a mistake, but something happened to help us get back on track or we got a break or fate intervened in some way.   A fork in our road appeared, and we chose well or someone helped us choose well.  But for those who took a different road, whether it be because of ignorance or poor judgment or lack of proper examples, the punishment can sometimes last for many years.  It can be the start of a long dependency on social services, a costly proposition for any community.

There are no easy answers to these perplexing life situations.  But to ignore their existence invites more to occur.  Our community displays a compassion and care for each other that sets it apart - we invest in our troubled so they can live better lives.  The more troubled the life, the greater the imperative to do something.  Having local resources like Fishline and Coffee Oasis are a start, but we do not provide housing or jobs or adult mentoring.  And these are the resources most needed for a fresh start. 

When the economy improves, and most employable residents are working and secure, it will be these cases that will remain.  We are not alone in our concern for these vexing dilemmas -  new and creative programs throughout the country are meeting these issues head-on, offering work release and transitional housing solutions that hold residents accountable to constructive progress.  Tacoma Housing Authority is trying an innovative approach that assists at-risk families with housing costs if children stay in school and a parent stays employed.  The Housing Authority of Portland has relaxed its restrictions on renting to those with prior offenses, categorizing housing eligibility based on the type of offense and the parolee's danger to society.  Our Kitsap Community Resources is working on a landlord mitigation program, reducing the risk to landlords when renting to those with past difficulties.

These are all steps in the direction of a stable, forgiving community.  Though the reality in our world is that not all stories have a happy ending, more would end on a positive note if we take a chance and invest in those who want to better their lives.  Working together, even the hardest problems become opportunities to create a community of second chances.

This Week's Most Needed Items

Fresh fruits & vegetables. As your gardens start to yield their crops, please think of us at North Kitsap Fishline. We gladly welcome fresh fruits and vegetables at the food bank for distribution to our clients. These garden goodies are much appreciated by all!

Canned soups.  We are in need of chicken, chicken noodle and vegetable canned soup.  This is a basic item in our E-boxes, and a convenient food item for those in need, especially those who may be displaced from their homes. 

Plastic grocery bags. Do you have piles of plastic grocery bags laying around?  We need them!! We recycle these bags in our front market for our clients.  Please drop them off between 10am and 3pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and from 10am to 7pm on Wednesdays.

Fishline Celebrates July's Community Partner: North Kitsap Herald

Every Friday morning, our community looks forward to reading the North Kitsap Herald to find out all the latest news on local events and people.  Thanks to the generosity of our local publishers, Fishline has been featured in this paper often throughout the past year.  They have permitted us a monthly column to share the progress and needs of our food bank with our community.  They take our pictures when checks are presented, giving local groups and businesses the recognition they deserve.  They attend fundraisers and food drives to raise awareness about the ways we help our neighbors and encourage others to get involved. 

Last year, when we knew our beloved Operations Manager, Garvin Tootle, was dying of cancer, the Herald did a beautiful tribute story about his life and work while he was still alive.  When we realized that we needed a new building sooner rather than later, the Herald published a front page story describing our needs.  And just recently, the Herald has worked closely with Fishline to create a recurring column featuring Fishline "Hunger Heroes in Action" as well as a monthly spot highlighting facts and statistics about the work Fishline does in the community.  And, together with the Herald and the Poulsbo Chamber, Fishline will be coordinating a Volunteer Fair in the fall, the first of its kind in our area.

We are truly grateful for the partnership Fishline has had over the years with Sound Publishing and the NK Herald - because of their efforts, more people are aware of the good work we do than ever before.  Their commitment to sharing our message means that people who need our help will know about it and people who want to help will be inspired to get involved.  We could not promote our message of Neighbors Helping Neighbors without the dedication of the North Kitsap Herald.

    

We thank Sound Publishing and the team at the Herald for all the ways they have contributed to our mission and have selected them as July's Community Partner of the Month.