A Christmas Letter to Our Volunteers

Dear Volunteers,

As we prepare to close out another eventful year at Fishline and Second Season, we look back with wonder and appreciation for all the miracles that it are so easy to take for granted. Every day, our food bank and thrift store are graced with donations large and small, each one coming with a message that our community joins us in our mission. Because of the scores of volunteers who work tirelessly and without complaint, we turn these donations into sustenance and life-giving security for the many neighbors who are humble enough to ask for our help. Sometimes, we are a port in a temporary storm, other times making it possible for a non-living wage to be enough, but always we love and care for our most vulnerable with respect and hope.

These are not easy jobs -- this work can deplete you, and it can even make you wonder if we will ever see a time when the need is not so great. But we are undaunted…we return, time and again, knowing that what we do matters. Ask any of our clients, and they will tell you. It is unimaginable to consider how our community would fare were it not for what we do. Hunger and homelessness are always real threats, and it is by our continued vigilance that we keep them at bay. Somehow, as the need grows and our buildings seem to shrink, we make it work…we remain civil, we are kind and helpful toward one another, we cleverly stretch our resources to benefit all.

2014 already looks to be a very special year in the history of Fishline. We will open up the space in our food facility, thereby opening up possibilities to help in ways we could never have considered in the past. We will learn more about the dynamics of helping and what people need most when they encounter a crisis. And we will count our blessings once again because we will do this all together.

On behalf of Fishline’s Board of Directors, its ever-grateful clients and the community you serve, I thank you for your devotion, your energy, your ideas and your inspiration. May you and yours experience the peace and tranquility of these holidays, knowing that our community is stronger because of you.

Mary

Executive Director,

North Kitsap Fishline

Fishline Celebrates December's Community Partner: Windermere Real Estate

NK Fishline, December's Community Partner: Windermere Real Estate

Windermere Realty has three local offices -- one in Poulsbo, Kingston, and Silverdale.  Each of these offices has made a commitment to serve their local community, a kind of unspoken corporate responsibility that makes them a perfect example of what being a community partner is all about. 

For several years now Windermere Real Estate has helped organize the Forest Hills Rock neighborhood food drive.  This annual food drive, which typically tops itself every year, kicks off the holiday food drive season.  This year the Windermere offices decided to also have a little friendly competition between their Kingston, Poulsbo, and Silverdale offices -- with the local food banks benefiting. Over 4300 lbs of food has been collected since just a little bit before Thanksgiving, with 2500 lbs of that going to Fishline.
 

During the week of Thanksgiving, Windermere delivered 50 turkeys to Fishline (and another 100 to food banks in Kingston and Silverdale!).  In lieu of a Christmas party this year, the employees of the Poulsbo office decided to donate the money that would have been spent on their festive annual get together to several important organizations, including Fishline.  Employees of Windermere happily delivered a check for $1500 right after Thanksgiving. 

Mike Pitts, one of the owners of Windermere, explains in the interview above, how everyone in the office jumps at the opportunity to be involved in the community.  "People feel good about working with Fishline...they'll do what they say they're going to do.”  And we feel good about businesses like Windermere!

In addition to their nonstop work during the holidays, the Windermere Foundation has helped keep families in their homes through grants and other funding awarded to Fishline. Thank you to all the Windermere offices for all that you do -- your owners, your realtors, and your staff are much appreciated by all in the North Kitsap community! 

Windermere Poulsbo is located at 18570 Hwy 305 in Poulsbo.  You can visit their website here and their Facebook page here. 

Poulsbo Couple Experiments with Life on a Food Stamp Budget (Kitsap Sun)

Susan Herriott and her husband, Jon, lived on a food-stamp budget for the month of November to understand what it is like for clients at the North Kitsap Fishline, where they volunteer. It took a month of hoarding and giving up favorite foods to have enough to serve Thanksgiving dinner for 11, but they managed to do it. (MEEGAN M. REID / KITSAP SUN)

POULSBO — The Herriott Thanksgiving table did not bear any markings of poverty.

Nothing on the table was a handout, but for the month of November Susan Herriott and her husband, Jon, lived as if everything they ate was.

The Herriotts volunteer at North Kitsap Fishline, getting up early to help gather donated groceries from the four big local grocery stores and helping clients.

Susan Herriott wondered what it would be like to rely on the groceries Fishline provides and food stamp income. So in November, she and Jon committed to do it for a month. She documented her experiences in a blog called “Loaves and the Fishline.”

“I did it because I didn’t understand the decisions people were making when they came to the food bank.” Herriott said. “I see them buy what I think is strange stuff.”

She also noticed that many of the organization’s clients were older, past retirement age — much like the Herriotts.

She didn’t get any of her groceries from the food bank itself, but she made regular visits to Fishline’s Third Avenue store and made a list of what she would get if she were a client. Then she went to a grocery store to buy it. What she wouldn’t have received from Fishline, she could buy with $49 a week she and her husband would have qualified for in food stamps, were they living only on their Social Security income.

It was a stretch to not open the Herriott kitchen pantry, which is evidence of an experienced long-term menu planner. But Herriott essentially closed the doors, planned what she could and experienced living with the mystery of what’s available at the food bank day to day.

To read more Susan Herriott blogged about her month-long experiment living on a food-stamp budget. The blog, called “Loaves and the Fishline” is located here.

In November she bought supplies that come in a monthly “emergency box,” or “Ebox,” distributed by the food bank to its clients once per month. Each box contains enough food for balanced meals for three days, according to Fishline’s website. Canned chili and tuna are examples of the contents.

She also bought the goods that come in the federal government’s mystery “commodities bag.” It’s a mystery because the supplies are based on whatever is overstocked, incorrectly packaged or otherwise unsellable. It’s all good food, but there’s no predicting from one month to the next what will be in it, said Mary Nader, North Kitsap Fishline, Executive Director.  Commodities are provided for distribution from a federal government program and are not overstocked, incorrectly packaged or unsellable items. 

The third part of the Fishline program is the organization’s store. Clients are allocated a certain number of “Fish bucks,” depending on family size, to purchase items from the store.
Thanks to local grocery donations from Poulsbo’s four major grocers, Fishline can provide fresh produce, frozen goods, yogurt and mostly free bread.

During the month of the experiment the Herriotts ate less meat and little fish. They experienced the panic of lost food when a dish of spaghetti slipped off the table, wasting some of their precious provisions.

They learned firsthand the luxury of coffee.

Susan managed to plan for a Thanksgiving feast for 11, complete with a turkey and all the sides, by doing without some favorites and hoarding items like cranberries early in the month.

One of the biggest realizations during the experiment was how much time it took to live so tuned into her food budget.

“I usually shop one day a week and go to Costco once a month or once every two months,” she wrote on her blog on Nov. 9. “I find that I am going to the grocery store two or three times a week. I can’t get enough money together at one time to get ahead. Since the food bank limits the amount of some things, I have to go several times a week in order to get enough for the week. I understand why there are limits. The food bank never knows what or how much of a single item they will have at a time and they don’t know how many people will show up in a day. I think they do a good job but it does make it difficult.”

Some of the work included making granola instead of buying it, saving about $9 for three pounds. One day a neighbor brought jars of jam and banana bread as thanks for some compost the Herriotts had shared. Though the neighbor has been doing it for nine years, it took on added meaning during the experiment, Herriott said.

“Today the gift brought me to tears,” she wrote on her blog. “The banana bread is great but what really touched me was the jam. I am out, and my husband almost always has toast and jam as part of his breakfast. I wasn’t sure when I could afford more since I have spent all but $6.00 of my food stamp budget this week. I was surprised at my depth of feeling. We aren’t starving by any means. I have to think a little harder about what we eat and work a little harder to prepare it, but the worry about having enough is new to me.”

The time it takes to provide meals based on food bank donations was a “full-time job,” Herriott said.

“I don’t know how you do this and look for work,” she said.

Carole Herriott, daughter to the Poulsbo couple, was one of those on hand for Thursday’s Thanksgiving dinner. For some time a few years back, she relied on food banks and bargain shopping.

“The greatest invention ever was the Grocery Outlet,” she said.

Making it easier for her were healthy children. Carole Herriott said they ate a lot but didn’t have special diet problems.

“Only rich people have food allergies,” she said.

Susan Herriott said she knows she is lucky there were no huge surprises during the month and also that she didn’t do this experience in February, when food pantries typically run low on supplies.

Nader said donations from grocery stores and others slow down during the early part of the year. Food gets more expensive for grocery stores to order, so the daily donations get thinner, something Fishline is preparing for now by planning targeted food drives. Our targeted food drive campaign is called Hunger Heroes, which you can read more about here.

Before November ended, Herriott was planning a steak dinner for the first day back to regular menus. It’s a luxury she counts among many. The Herriotts planned well for retirement and have suffered few setbacks or health issues.

She has a lot of respect for those forced to rely on the food banks.

“I don’t know how you do it,” she said.

This article was originally posted on Kitsap Sun's website and can read with a paid subscription HERE.  It is also on the front page of today's printed edition of Kitsap Sun (December 1, 2013). The italicized text in gray are our corrections to the article.

NK Fishline Welcomes Our New Floor Manager: Sean Wescott

 

Being raised with a family that was active in church and community events, I grew up in a culture of volunteering.  From my youngest days as a cub scout and in the youth group of my church I have been taking part in helping out anyway that I could.  My volunteer ‘career’ began as a teenager when my mother opened an office for Habitat for Humanity in our community.  I helped her prepare the space that was to be the office, and once we were functional I took part as a volunteer.  I was the coordinator making endless phone calls to solicit help for projects, and I also made the lunches for the work crews.  When my Pastor stepped down from the Board of Directors two years later, he tapped me as his replacement.  So from a young age I had the privilege of working closely with community leaders as a Board Member and the Volunteer Liaison for the University.  I have also worked for Make-a-Wish Foundation, the American Heart Association, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Progressive Animal Welfare Society, providing data entry and other office support such as setting up and maintaining electronic and hard copy filing systems.  It was all very rewarding work. 

At the Court of Honor for my Eagle Scout award they made it clear that upon receiving this honor I was a ‘marked man’, with a moral imperative help others at all times.  That directive has led me on all kinds of crazy adventures that if ever you want to talk story I am happy to share.  My family also has ministers on both sides of my bloodline, so it is no great surprise that a couple of years ago I began to get the calling from God myself.  In recent times I have been working on my own ministering to and providing help for those in need.  In fact, I was searching for a place to focus my time working to help the disenfranchised of our society, and so I am very happy to have joined the team here a Fishline, since that is exactly what I get to do.  Other pet projects of mine are Women’s rights and the Church of Sacred Motherhood, which is a new church based on the internet.  When I am not doing anything else, I like to work on music, cook, write, go for hikes in our gorgeous woods, and take road trips. 

I am so happy that I am here now working with all of you on this momentous project.  The work you do here is changing the world, pouring out healing to so many ravaged by the side effects of our tattered economy and a world full of fear.  There are so many volunteers at Fishline that it warms my heart to see you all, and to watch what a well-oiled machine you have in place.  With so many working so hard for one cause, it is hard to imagine any kind of limitations to what we can accomplish together.  Thank you all for making me feel at home with your pleasant demeanor and upbeat attitude.  I want you to know that you are each one an inspiration, and I look forward to working with you all as we take North Kitsap Fishline to the next level of growth – and beyond!

Sincerely, 

Sean Wescott

Floor Manager, NK Fishline

Fishline is in Need of Contractors! Can You Help?

We are mere days away from ownership of our new facility – while we are handling the paperwork, there is concurrent effort underway to design and schedule work needed to make the building usable for our food bank.  We have a general contractor, but every bit of donated time, expertise or materials we can invite will help our costs go down.  But we also expect to pay for some of the work, so if you know of professionals who can offer their services for reduced cost, please let us know of them as well.

So, here’s what we need:

Plumbing Contractor – the highest priority.  We need to submit plumbing plans to the City as soon as we are able.  If you know of a contractor, please pass this information to us by Monday.

Electrical Contractor – also important but not an urgent timeline.  We would like your recommendations as soon as possible, but will accept them as late as next Friday.

Construction Materials – Sinks, faucets, wood, drywall, anything like this would help keep our costs down.

Sweat Equity – Do you want to help remove market carpet and finish the floors?  Does it sound like fun to demolish the side building we don’t need anymore?  Want to help us move?  Would you like to help organize the move? Let us know and we can include you on our project teams.

Email us with questions or if you need clarification.  Thank you for your recommendations and for your help.  This is a historic moment for Fishline, and I’m so glad we are all a part of it.

Mary Nader, 
Executive Director

Christmas Child Program

The Christmas Child program allows parents to create a personal wish list of gifts that would bring the most joy to their children during the holiday season.  The gift tag process allows parents (or children) to list three wants and three needs specific to that child's interests, hobbies, and abilitites. An individual or group may sponsor this child by purchasing at least three items from the child's list. The wish lists are then distributed via "Tag Trees" at area businesses. Sponsors choose a tag, purchase the items, place them in one big bag, ATTACH THE TAG, and return the marked bag to the business. 

The following businesses have agreed to host "Tag Trees" in 2013:

Liberty Bay Books

North Kitsap Herald

Modern Dentistry

Dahlquist Fine Jewelry

Sugar and Spice Tea Shop

Curves

Bank of America

First Security Bank

Poulsbo Athletic Club

Sport Haus

Hostmark Apts

Peninsula Paint

Crimson Cove Smoked Specialties

North Point Church

Marina Market Poulsbo

First Lutheran Church

American Rose Bridal

Animal Emergency and Trauma Center

Jak’s Café

Poulsbo Yacht Club

Key Bank

La Bella Vita Salon

Peninsula Credit Union

Toy Drives are currently being held at the following locations:

Vinland Elementary School

St Olaf’s Church

Poulsbo City Hall

Poulsbo Lions Club

Enjoy the following discounts with your toy donation:

Mike’s Car Wash is giving $2 off a gold wash with a toy donation and a free wash (any level) with a $50 or more cash or check donation.

Program Guidelines:

• Businesses or others agree to host a gift tag tree by mid November.

• Gift tag trees need to be provided by businesses and be in place by the last week in November to allow people to shop on Black Friday.

• Fishline will supply coded gift tags to each site prior to set up date and replenish as needed

• Sponsors will choose a gift tag and go shopping.

• Purchased items are returned to the business.  Gifts should be UNWRAPPED in ONE BAG with the TAG ATTACHED to the bag

• Gifts will be picked up from tag tree sites by Christmas Child Organizers if needed

• If you are participating as a sponsor in the Christmas Child Program in 2013, all gifts are due back to the tag tree site no later than December 7th.

Please contact our Christmas Child organizers Jeannie Benton and Sue Paskell by email at jambb1@comcast.net (or call Raelenea Rodriguez at (360) 779-5190).  We are happy to answer any questions you might have about the Christmas Child Program. 

We are still accepting anonymous donations of new toys and are happy to supply you with a box.  Toy drives are equally appreciated.  These toys will be used for children who have not been sponsored.  This program is not in any way related to "Operation" Christmas Child.

Building a Home Where Hunger Has No Place

Much conversation has been going on recently about the cut backs in SNAP benefits, commonly called food stamps. Effective the first of this month, 1184 households in Poulsbo were affected by these changes. Hearing concerns expressed on both sides of this issue and reading the many commentaries, one realizes that there continues to be some ambiguity about who is food insecure in our country and how they became so.

Being on the front line of our region's war on hunger, Fishline witnesses the real stories and lives that are usually talked about in generalizations when broaching this topic. We see the overwhelming reluctance that most new clients feel when they first come to Fishline. When new clients enter into our front market, a grocery-store like environment, we see their fears melt away, replaced with obvious relief that shows all over their faces. Volunteers tell each other about the extraordinary expressions of gratitude they witness, some so heartfelt that it can't help but change you. Just last week, a client began to cry when thanking the checkout volunteer for the meat that is rarely available in our front market.

These are reactions one cannot fake - they happen unexpectedly, perhaps the result of a long time of trying to be strong and not be afraid. The reality that most working poor families face is one of continuous pressure. Days are spent thinking of ways to make a meager income keep up with the climbing cost of living. Nights are spent tossing and turning because the potential for homelessness and hunger is real. For those looking for work, every unanswered job application or interview that doesn't end with an offer just exacerbates the sinking depression that seems most alive and well at 3 am.

When a little source of relief, such as meat available in the front market, comes your way, you feel a little hope that things might work out after all. But when you get home, the pile of bills await you, and the worry begins again.

One of our volunteers took on an intriguing and courageous experiment because of the compassion she feels for the clients she sees every day. She and her husband would decide to live the entire month of November on a budget they'd receive were they to apply for food stamps, augmented by shopping at Fishline. She is blogging about what she learns while walking in the shoes of our clients. Already in the first week, she finds herself having to give up some ofher favorite items, like coffee and beef, and trying every low-cost recipe she can to stretch their budget. She spends hours each day looking for the lowest cost items and trying to assemble meals that are not filled with empty, cheap carbs and sweets. What she has experienced will remind you that no one would choose this if they had other options.

For her, this struggle will soon be left behind. She will feel the relief that comes when she resumes her normal life of shopping at the Farmer's Market and Central with a renewed appreciation for the hardships of our clients. We pray that, for the thousands of neighbors who live in poverty, they can someday feel that same relief.

Until then, it will fall upon providers like Fishline to fill the gap that results from the cut backs like those affecting SNAP. Our lines will grow longer, and we will try to feed many more people more often. October was our busiest month on record, and the holidays will likely see unprecedented numbers of families needing our help. We ask that you donate generously to Fishline. Our community must rally if it is to remain a home where hunger has no place.