Nonprofit FISH of Vancouver lately accomplished the enlargement of its downtown meals pantry.
FISH, or Mates in Service to Humanity, operates a warehouse and meals pantry at 906 Harney St., the place it distributes greater than 2 million kilos of meals annually.
The enlargement mission, which started in July 2023, doubled the scale of the warehouse and expanded the meals pantry by 50 %, bringing the entire facility house to 10,000 sq. toes.
The mission was a part of FISH’s effort to satisfy the rising wants of Clark County residents. On Oct. 10, the nonprofit hosted a celebration to showcase the brand new house and thank the donors who contributed to the mission, which value $1 million.
“We realized with the growth we were seeing, having the extra space was really imperative to keep fulfilling our mission to keep serving the community,” FISH Govt Director James Fitzgerald mentioned.
TO HELP
FISH of Vancouver accepts donations at its web site: fishvancouver.org/give
FISH accepts donations of nonperishable meals objects, toiletries and different necessities at 906 Harney St., Vancouver
Signal as much as volunteer at fishvancouver.org/volunteer/
GET HELP
FISH of Vancouver is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday by way of Friday. The meals pantry shall be closed on Dec. 25, Dec. 26 and Jan. 1.
Be taught extra about FISH’s help applications at fishvancouver.org/get-help
The enlargement has improved the general procuring expertise for purchasers, Fitzgerald mentioned. The ability now consists of an outside walkway to protect purchasers from the climate whereas they wait in line. The bigger house permits FISH to serve extra purchasers directly to cut back wait instances.
As well as, FISH added a brand new produce part and expanded its month-to-month procuring space to incorporate extra shelf house.
In earlier years, FISH served purchasers with meals containers that included preselected objects. However now, FISH has adopted a shopping-style mannequin to make sure purchasers really feel dignified throughout their expertise.
“When somebody comes and they’re in need, to just assume what they want is not best,” Fitzgerald mentioned. “This really raises the dignity level. They go away with what they need, versus what we think they need.”
A much bigger want
The FISH meals pantry bustled on a sunny however chilly Wednesday morning. About 20 purchasers had been already ready in line outdoors of the power forward of its opening at 10 a.m.
On tremendous busy mornings, the road wraps across the total parking zone, Fitzgerald mentioned.
Even with higher capability and enhancements, the necessity in Vancouver continues to develop, Fitzgerald mentioned.
Fitzgerald mentioned the lengthy strains on the meals pantry are because of the rising prices of housing and meals, in addition to the tip of a pandemic-era program that elevated Supplemental Vitamin Help Program advantages, or meals stamps.
FISH serves a mean of 200 households a day — up 27 % from final yr. Simply earlier than the pandemic, the nonprofit served near 75 households per day.
Though FISH has the capability to serve the higher variety of households, it’s indicative of a bigger difficulty: Many individuals are nonetheless experiencing meals insecurity, Fitzgerald mentioned.
“In the last six years, we have seen such extreme growth,” he mentioned. “But sometimes, you wish it wasn’t necessary that this was here, because it means there’s a lot of need in the county. It’s awesome that we’re able to help and that we’ve been able to keep up, but the demand keeps going up. Something has to give.”
Most of the folks FISH serves are low-income households, seniors and other people experiencing homelessness.
The nonprofit has applied a brand new idea for homeless folks: a grab-and-go window that lets them select meals objects that don’t require cooking.
Moreover, FISH’s cell meals pantry, which launched in July 2023, travels to low-income residence complexes, senior facilities and well being clinics to distribute nonperishable meals.
“We had a day this past month that we had 268 families come through in one day,” Fitzgerald mentioned. “That was kind of a wake-up call. We’re doing whatever it takes to just keep our heads above water.”
Volunteer influence
Volunteers preserve FISH going, Fitzgerald mentioned.
Within the first 10 months of 2024, FISH volunteers logged 17,645 hours — a mean of 1,765 hours per 30 days. From stocking cabinets with meals to unloading pallets and finding out donations, volunteers guarantee FISH operates easily and effectively, Fitzgerald mentioned.
Edri Geiger, who’s been volunteering at FISH for 2 years, mentioned she understands the struggles of households going through meals insecurity, as a result of she additionally grew up in that setting.
It’s why she offers again.
“You just have to make certain that you help others,” Geiger mentioned. “It could be us. It could be family members or friends. We love having our people come in here and knowing they can get something to make their homes better and their tummies as well.”
Joe and Joda Jackson, whom FISH lately highlighted in its annual report, have volunteered on the nonprofit for greater than six years. Joe Jackson, who served 739 volunteer hours in 2024, dedicates 4 days every week to stocking the pantry and making deliveries. Each week, Joda Jackson bakes contemporary cookies and bread for FISH volunteers.
Fitzgerald mentioned he’s proud to be a part of a company whose goal is to assist folks. In 2025, he hopes FISH can proceed to satisfy the wants of the neighborhood and that extra folks can overcome meals insecurity.
“I think the design we’ve come up with has been very successful,” Fitzgerald mentioned. “We want to make sure we’re serving the community the best we can.”
FISH is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday by way of Friday. The meals pantry shall be closed on Dec. 25, Dec. 26 and Jan. 1.