FISH from the eyes of a current student volunteer:

“A smile, a wave, a thank you and a hug… It’s often the smallest things that the biggest difference.”

I recently stumbled upon this quote by a wellness and motivational speaker named Katrina Mayer and instantly I thought of it’s connection to my experience working at FISH.

I see this supported every Friday morning I work at FISH. I see this supported at every Mobile Food Pantry. Where at 9 in the morning a smile and hello when passing out food or helping a 9 year old pick out awesome Spiderman cupcakes brings happiness and smiles right back at you. And I see this supported through all the giving and selfless volunteers at FISH.

I’ve worked at FISH for two years now. And I know how much cereal we give each family size, when our shipments come in and the perfect size box to fit certain things in. But it never crossed my mind how much it costs for FISH to feed a family. Lynne Devlin, the president of FISH, recently handed me this sheet given to her by a fellow volunteer. It costs about $40 dollars to feed a family of 1 and about $80 to feed a family of 8.  This reaffirmed one of the lessons I’ve learned at FISH. Whether you donate money, or your time, a jar of peanut butter, or a few plastic bags:

Small things go a long way. They matter.

These are lists that consist of what we pass out to our clients here at FISH and the prices at our local Hyvee as of March 2014. 

Frosty FISH!

On Saturday March 15th we had our Mobile Food Pantry at the First Church of God. And what a day that was! After a frosty few weeks, the sun was out and shining for us! Our Mobile Food Pantry was a blast and went smoothly!

A big thanks to ALL the volunteers who came out and supported us. We can't do these events without you guys. Also, a big thanks to First Church of God, River Bend Food Bank, and First Midwest Charitable Foundation!

Here's some pictures of the event: 

 The River Bend FoodBank truck in the distance. 

A volunteer mans the bread table! 

What's Fizzing at FISH?

Exciting things are bubbling at FISH:
We just sent out letters about our upcoming Mobile Food Pantry!

It will be on Saturday March 15th, 2014 at First United Church of God!

Wintery & Wonderful Mobile Food Pantry

Tomorrow at First Church of God (1080 Harrison Street) will be our Mobile Food Pantry. 

This Mobile Food Pantry is sponsored by First Midwest Charitable Foundation, River Bend Food Bank, FISH, Knox County Pork Producers, WoodForest Bank & First Church of God Volunteers.

Registration: 10:15-11:00AM
Distribution: 11:30AM

We are in need of Volunteers! Show up at First Church of God at 10:00AM. We are always incredibly thankful and appreciate anyone willing to donate their time!

First FISH in November!

It's November 1st!
And we had quite the morning here at the Pantry!

At 10AM our doors were opened and our volunteers happily waited for clients to arrive. The talk of the town was the bareness of our shelves. With the shift in weather and reduction of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), FISH is helping more and more clients. We're in need of some canned fruits and veggies, spaghetti noodles, and soup. But we're thankful for any and all donations!
We're also in need of some volunteers! Interested in Volunteering? Call FISH between 10AM-3PM Monda-Friday (309-343-7807).

A incredibly BIG thank you to Weight Watchers Galesburg who collected food for FISH today. While our shelves were somewhat bare in the early morning, by late afternoon we had boxes and boxes to unpack!

In other FISH news... we have big events coming up!

Galesburg Radio 14 WGIL is having a food drive November 16th and December 14th.

Our Mobile Food Pantry will be held on Saturday, December 7th at First Church Of God.

Knox College v. Monmouth Football Game will support "We Can" a food drive benefiting KPCK, FISH, and Blessings in A Backpack on November 16th at 1:00PM at the Knosher Bowl. So bring a can of food and watch some football!

Lastly, here's some pictures from FISH today: 

The shelves at FISH restocked from the Weight Watchers food collection.

A lovely and positive message on a box at the pantry. 

FISHing on Friday: APPLES!

This week, FISH was in contact with local farmer Perry McFarland about potentially picking apples. With the help of KnoxCorp Associate Bridget Doherty and Knox College's Blessings in A Backpack, hundreds of apples were collected and distributed throughout the community! Not only did Blessings in A Backpack pack apples for the kids it helps but FISH distributed some and so did Knox Prairie Community Kitchen!

A HUGE thanks to Mr.McFarland as none of this would have been possible without him!
And a big thanks to Blessings Volunteers and FISH Volunteers for working hard every day!

Wishing the best on this fabulous friday,
FISH

The Blessings Volunteers and Perry McFarland!

Tons of Apples!

And lastly, the wonderful Knox Students and Blessings in a Backpack members who donated their time to pick apples! 

CASA of Knox County

FISH FRIENDS:

We're helping spread the word about CASA of Knox County. 

CASA is the Court Appointed Special Advocate program. It's purpose is to recruit, train, and supervise volunteers to represent the best interests of children in abuse and neglect cases in Knox County. 

For more information about CASA, check out their website: 
http://www.casaofknoxco.com/

In addition they're on the look out for a Volunteer Coordinator!
For more information check out this information: 

CASA of Knox County is hiring for the position of a part-time Volunteer Coordinator!The person in this position would primarily assist CASA’s director with the supervision of volunteer advocates and case management. See the "News and Activities" page of our website for details and how to apply.

http://www.casaofknoxco.com/news_and_activities