F.I.S.H. to celebrate decades of service to islands over next year
F.I.S.H. of Sanibel-Captiva is recognizing its 40 years of service to the islands’ communities.
Starting this month, the wrap-around social service agency will kick off a year-long celebration that will run through November of next year. “The Act of Turning 40,” a virtual auction and fundraiser, will jump-start the campaign and feature a package of island goodies to be awarded to the highest bidder.
“It’s a year-long celebration because F.I.S.H. does so much for the community between Sanibel and Captiva,” President and Chief Executive Officer Maggi Feiner said.
She called the milestone anniversary important because of the agency’s growth over the years.
“We started off as a small handful of neighbors who wanted to help other neighbors,” Feiner said. “Since that time, F.I.S.H. has evaluated what the needs of the islands are and how it could fill those.”
F.I.S.H. has been assisting islanders since 1982 as the “neighbors helping neighbors” social service organization. Started by volunteer residents, it has grown to offer more than 30 services, including food programs, financial assistance, and programs to prevent senior isolation and support aging-in-place.
“They realized that there were certain services that our seniors needed,” she said.
When F.I.S.H. became a non-profit in 1982, its 40 volunteers assisted with meal delivery for housebound seniors, transportation off and on island for appointments and such, medical equipment loaners, phone calls to check on neighbors, and delivering books to residents from the library.
The agency continued to grow its neighborly programs with the Hurricane Committee, which helped evacuate vulnerable residents, and its Friendly Faces luncheons to bring the community together.
Feiner noted that over the years, programs were assessed and enhanced, with new ones added.
By 2007, F.I.S.H. opened its Walk-In Center to make its programs and services more accessible to those needing help. In 2008, the food pantry was created. Today, the F.I.S.H. Food Pantry serves nearly 1,000 families in a self-serve format, enabling islanders to do their own shopping during the week.
The agency currently relies on almost 200 volunteers and a small staff to assist nearly 5,000 island neighbors every year. In 2020, F.I.S.H. distributed about 6,500 meals to seniors; 2,000 food backpacks to youths; nearly 250,000 pounds of food to families; and paid 494 essential bills for those in crisis.
It also secured and distributed doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at a pop-up vaccination clinic.
“With F.I.S.H. celebrating our 40th, it’s not just celebrating F.I.S.H., it’s celebrating the community and community partnerships. We could not accomplish what we do without all of the volunteers we have, the service clubs and religious organizations,” she said. “This really is a celebration of the community.”
“F.I.S.H. is the community, and we couldn’t function without the community,” Feiner added.
Bidding in “The Act of Turning 40” will open on Nov. 8 and close on Nov. 30.
The package up for grabs will include: a multi-course culinary experience for six catered by Chef Leslie Adams and held in the gallery of artist and TV journalist Rachel Pierce; hand-painted napkin rings by Pierce; hand-etched wine glasses by artist Lucas Century; eight bottles of sommelier-chosen red and white wines; a centerpiece arrangement by Floral Artistry; and a three-day two-night stay for two at the ‘Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa on Captiva.
“There are all sorts of art forms on this island. It’s all community-minded,” she said. “These are people expressing the beauty of the island and our people, so we wanted to bring that into the celebration.”
To view the auction package and make a bid, visit https://www.32auctions.com/fishofsancap.
F.I.S.H. has also teamed up with The Sanibel School and asked students to create hand-drawn images with a description that shows how they have helped a neighbor. In March, the annual go! FISH celebration is planned, followed by the 10K Race 4 F.I.S.H. in October and Open House in November.
For more information about F.I.S.H., visit https://www.fishofsancap.org/.