Friday, June 12, 2015

Hailey's Harvest Drops Off Items for the Homeless!





Today Hailey (Hailey's Harvest) and her family dropped by Fishline with the following items for our homeless clients: a check to cover the cost of 10 PO boxes for a year, I was able to give North Kitsap Fishline a check to cover the cost of 10 PO boxes for a year, 11 tents, 18 sleeping bags, 14 backpacks, 10 phones, 14 tarps, 4 portable showers, 30 ID pouches, 10 packages of batteries, 40 packages of antibiotic cream, 4 cases of Hot Hands, 24 first aid kits, 9 feminine hygiene products, 50 traveling sunscreen packets, 4 cases of Advil, and a package of diapers. She received all of these donations through the registry she set up on Amazon after meeting with us about the best way she could help the homeless. Thank you Hailey for your AMAZING work and to all who donated to her. These items are greatly appreciated and will be distributed through Fishline to help those who need them the most! You can visit the Amazon registry here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/share-reg/ref=… and her website here: www.haileysharvest.com to learn more about Hailey and her projects.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Fishline Current: June 10

Fishline Current: Upcoming Events, Classes and Reminders! 

 


Our SOS program (Stability, Opportunity, Success) goes beyond our basis services and works closely with other providers and agencies to offer our clients a  path beyond difficult times: by offering classes, providing job support, and giving our clients access to training and workshops.

Here are our confirmed SOS classes for the month of June and July, 2015:
The resource room will not be available during classes!  If you plan to attend a workshop or class, please call ahead to make sure that it has not been cancelled.


Rotary Readers at Fishline
THIS Friday, June 12 from 11am to 12pm

The Poulsbo Rotary Club and Fishline have launched an early literacy pilot project called Rotary Readers: Read to Me (0 to 5).  During the program a brand new book will be given to parents or primary caregivers of children aged newborn to 5. The book will be given in a blue bag along with learning skills developmental information and ideas for use of the book.  Parents will also be given a calendar for the month to note upon which date the child was read to.
Please note: parents will be asked to survey the program after participating so that we can improve the class if needed.  The books purchased from a grant by the Poulsbo Rotary Club match the age-level interests for the child.
You must sign up in the lobby for of Fishline for this class.
Meet & Greet
Peninsula Community Health Services
Monday, June 22, 10am to 2pm
Peninsula Community Health Services will be in the Fishline lobby on Monday, June 22 from 10am to 2pm to do a casual "Meet and Greet" with Fishline clients.
Representatives will be available from to answer questions about Apple Health, the Washington State Benefit Exchange and services provided by PCHS.

Rotary Readers at Fishline
Wednesday, June 24 from 5pm to 6pm

The Poulsbo Rotary Club and Fishline have launched an early literacy pilot project called Rotary Readers: Read to Me (0 to 5).  During the program a brand new book will be given to parents or primary caregivers of children aged newborn to 5. The book will be given in a blue bag along with learning skills developmental information and ideas for use of the book.  Parents will also be given a calendar for the month to note upon which date the child was read to.
Please note: parents will be asked to survey the program after participating so that we can improve the class if needed.  The books purchased from a grant by the Poulsbo Rotary Club match the age-level interests for the child.
You must sign up in the lobby for of Fishline for this class.
 
Grow A Row: Gardening Class
July 15, 3:30 to 6pm
Vegetable Gardening for Adults taught by WSU Kitsap County Extension Master Gardeners.  Learn the basics of organic vegetable gardening in a two and one half hour overview class.  Topics covered will be site selection and analysis, soil building, plant selection, pest and disease prevention/management, and garden maintenance.  Students will be able to do a simple soil test of their garden soil and will take home informational handouts.  This class will be held on July 15, 3:30 to 6pm.  You must sign up in the lobby of Fishline for this class.

Fishing for Answers: Understanding Your Credit Report
Wednesday, July 29, 5:30 to 7pm

Fishline Conference Room
Why is it important to have good credit?
What if I have questions about my credit report?
How can I build or repair my credit?
Meet with a banking professional and learn more about how to understand your credit report and what it means for your future. You won't want to miss this opportunity to ask questions about your credit report and get answers that make sense for you!
Please register for this class by calling Kitsap Community Resources at (360) 478-2301 or by signing up in the lobby at Fishline. Email questions to nkfishline@gmail.com.

Ongoing Classes:
 
"How to Find the Hidden Job Market in Kitsap County" Mondays, from 12pm to 3pm Wednesdays from 1pm to 3pm And other techniques for finding a job, including one on one job search assistance and free resumes.  These workshops will be held on Mondays, from 12pm to 3pm, and on Wednesdays from 1pm to 3pm.

Breath of Life, Tai Chi - Qi Gong/Wellness, Awareness, and Meditation
Tuesdays, 12:30 to 1pm
*Nelson Park, 317 Northwest Lindvig Way
Practice the ancient ways of breathing and movement to strengthen and enhance your body and mind.  It is a dynamic technique for tranquility in motion.  Sessions benefit all levels of skill and all ages, with special variations for disabilities.  Join us for a free session each Tuesdays at Nelson Park, 317 Northwest Lindvig Way, Tuesdays from 12:30pm to 1pm.  Wear comfortable, easy to move in clothing. Presented by Jillian Rifkind of Nourishing Life Acupunture and Julia Forrester of Tai Chi - Qi Gong. 
*NEW LOCATION! 

REMINDERS!
  • On Thursdays, we typically have  less food in the coolers.
  • Please make sure to bring your ID's to each visit. 
  • Please try to arrive 15 minutes prior to closing, especially Fridays.
THANK YOU!

Monday, June 1, 2015

Building Community Connections at Fishline

Fishline has been in the business of helping people for over 48 years, however we are really just an extension of something much larger than ourselves, that power we loosely attribute as “heartfelt compassion”.  Recently received calls from community members drive the point home:

“This kid is on my team and his family needs help, so I called you.” - local coach

“He is here from out of state and is asking for a hotel for the night, what do you advise?” – local pastor

“I want to bring this young Mother in to see you, she won’t come in on her own...” – local pastor

“This family is in crisis, can you help us find them shelter or housing?” – local tribal counselor

If you live in North Kitsap, you live among Neighbors who truly care about you and your well being. This community never ceases to amaze us in their advocacy for those less fortunate, going through a rough time, or experiencing a family crisis.

The calls we receive are calls for help, not only for the individual or the family involved but the community as a whole.

We could certainly choose to look the other way, or keep ourselves in the dark about the brokenness around us, but we choose to stand up and to support a movement for stability, opportunity and success for all who reside here.

Clients come from all walks of life, the military wife going through a divorce and starting her life over feeling discouraged and devastated who went on to become a mentor to unwed mothers and landed her dream job working with Head Start families. The man who had been a homeless drifter for 40 years and who came to call this his home, and now works part time at a local church and visits his mother at a close by nursing home. The college intern who is pursuing her career in addiction recovery and wanted to pay back Fishline for all the help offered to her in her times of struggle.

While we are able to stabilize the storm for most of our clients we want to do more. We want to get ahead of that crisis whenever possible. We want to wrap around clients with multiple barriers, we want to see providers use a team approach to support clients and one another in the journey. We want to see growth in community building projects and support groups.

We want there to be an intentional focus on building natural community connections (e.g., landlords, employers, ministers, neighbors, teachers, community centers, and coaches), and in the case of North Kitsap it is obvious that we have already conquered this important step. We want our neighbors to get help here in our community and without the barrier of setting and keeping appointments in Bremerton or Tacoma or Seattle.

We simply need to take the next step and create a model where we are cohesive across services and where self-determination and client choice are essential to success, and where shared case management is possible.

Will you support us in this mission? Will you be a part of strengthening your local community in such a way? We are in the process of creating something powerful and unique and would welcome your input and support; and please keep the calls coming, we are here to help you build our community to its best potential!