2021 ANNUAL REPORT
from
Friends In Sonoma Helping
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Through Changing Times, the Spirit of FISH endures |
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Much more than fashion has changed since the "Happy 1st Birthday to FISH" celebration, held a half century ago. Some changes, like Sonoma Valley's population, demographics, and economy have evolved gradually over the decades. Other changes, like the impacts of the global pandemic, seem to happen all at once.
But throughout these changing times, the spirit behind Friends in Sonoma Helping endures. The mission, vision, and values statements that we adopted in 2021 would likely have looked very appropriate to a volunteer in the 1970s. At the same time, FISH has been faced with the need to adapt on an ongoing basis, looking at new ways of providing services and shifting our focus as needed.
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, FISH continued to keep its doors and all programs open. In 2021 the need for some services decreased, as many people went back to work with stores and restaurants reopening and agricultural work resuming. FISH volunteers, many of whom sequestered at home in 2020, resumed their volunteer activities and a record number of new volunteers joined FISH this past year.
Thirty volunteers were trained and have become an integral part of our FISH services. Our new volunteers are bringing new energy and expertise to every segment of our FISH organization. And because many of these new volunteers are bilingual, FISH is better equipped to serve all our neighbors.
The greatest accomplishment of FISH through the years has been its ability to continually provide safety net services to Sonoma Valley. As in the past, in 2021 this all-volunteer
organization with its immense community support worked to meet basic needs for
our entire community.
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Revisiting our Vision, Mission, & Core Values |
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One of our major projects in 2021 was participating in the Sonoma County Community Foundation’s "Capacity Building" cohort. Fifty years after its founding, FISH completed an in-depth look at its purpose and organizational structure. With the help of a facilitator underwritten by the Community Foundation’s grant, that process resulted in revised vision and mission statements, new governance and organizational structure, updated job descriptions, and amended and restated by-laws. These efforts provide a framework for further planning and operational work ahead. |
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On June 9, 2021, FISH established its first Board of Directors to provide a new level of governance and leadership to the organization. FISH also established a new organizational chart, and assigned the primary leadership role to the Executive Director supported by a Steering Committee consisting of the Program Liaisons. |
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Board of Directors
Tom Haueser, President
Phyllis Anderson, Secretary
Nadine Yenni, Treasurer
Arlene Holt, Member
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Steering Committee
Sandy Piotter, Executive Director
Shirley Blazevich, Clothing Room Coordinator
Ligia Booker, Spanish Speaking Liaison Coordinator
Peggy Carroll, Transportation Coordinator
Karen Fegan, Utilities Coordinator
Beverly Koepplin, Information & Referral Coordinator
Sherry Michael, Rent Coordinator
Anne Shapiro, Medical Equipment Coordinator
Carol Sharp, Food Delivery Coordinator
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Summary of Services Provided in 2021 |
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Information & Referral:
- Thousands of requests have been received and FISH has responded in both English and Spanish to help our neighbors
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Food Assistance:
- 800 families received large quantities of both perishable and nonperishable food from our Food Pantry
- 365 families received food deliveries
- 460 families received Holiday Food Baskets
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Clothing and Housewares:
- Hundreds of pounds of clothing, diapers, shoes, household items, and holiday supplies have been distributed
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Transportation:
- 430 rides were provided to medical appointment, both locally and out of town
- 210 adults received between 7 and 10 gallons of gasoline
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Medical Equipment:
- 145 people received needed medical equipment including walkers, rollators, wheelchairs, commodes, shower chairs, crutches, and canes
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Financial Assistance:
- 434 families received rental assistance, most receiving 50% of their monthly rent
- 185 families received utility bill assistance for gas, electric, water or garbage
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While this summary data can provide a good picture of FISH services "by the numbers", often it is the individual stories that provide a broader sense of the impact that FISH has in the community. Below are just a few "FISH Tales" from 2021.
- A sewing machine donated to FISH was given to a woman who visits our Clothes Room regularly. She was then able to establish side work of sewing and mending to supplement her income. Volunteers in the Clothing Room save thread, buttons and zippers for her. This sewing machine became the bridge to greater financial security and self-sufficiency.
- An elderly woman with stage 4 renal failure and diabetes could no longer work and could not afford the new glasses she desperately needed. FISH provided her with new glasses.
- A single mom whose son was a senior in high school needed temporary rent support while she was able to reinvent herself and start her own business. It was a positive time for her and for her son, who was struggling emotionally with the challenges of distance learning. He is now part of the business, and both are doing well.
- A victim of the Paradise Fire who resettled in Sonoma required surgery. She had struggled to come back from the loss of all her possessions. She was grateful that FISH had medical equipment to loan her as she could not afford to purchase the items.
- A mother of four had moved from fast food employment to a job with a company that provided benefits. Just as she began her new job, she and all four children needed to quarantine, and she could not work. FISH helped with utility assistance to ease the burden of debt.
- A married man with young children lost his job as a cook in a Sonoma restaurant early in the pandemic. FISH helped with rent. We recently heard from him again. He had been back working full time in a restaurant and part time in another job, when his co-workers in his primary job came down with COVID and the restaurant closed. Then he became COVID positive and was unable to do his part time job. Although he was hesitant to ask for help a second time, FISH provided rental assistance and he has been able to return to both jobs. His prospects are brighter now.
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Expenditures for 2021 totaled $583,061.95. Of that amount, more than 95% went to providing direct services to clients, while $28,273 went to administrative costs, including expenses for utilities, insurance, supplies, and repairs.
FISH grants and donations for 2021 totaled $639,172.20. There were 1,072 donations received. About two-thirds, or $424,739, came from individual donations. The balance breaks down as follows: Grants (nongovernment) of $105,500 (17%), Foundations $65,000 (10%), Organizations $24,505 (4%), and Business Donations $19,427 (3%).
In addition to the above, FISH received reimbursement of $167,080.22 from the federal government through the CARES Act and through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for rental assistance made during 2020 and during the first quarter of 2021.
Further, FISH was named as beneficiary in an estate which settled in 2021. This generous gift of $415,548.14 has been invested and will be used to improve and increase direct services to those in need.
FISH wants to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our donors for their support. With you, all things seem possible. Although many of our donors prefer to remain anonymous supporters, we would like to share an excerpt from a letter that accompanied a recent donation.
Since moving to Sonoma in 2012, we have had many occasions to read and
hear about (and experience first-hand), the wonderful and extremely needed
community work your organization provides those in the community with the
most fundamental of needs.
Your organization’s accomplishments and gentle, respective style are impressive, it’s an exceptionally well-operated organization that has captured the hearts of many volunteers and donors!
We appreciate all that FISH accomplishes, and the caring and supportive
manner that it has with people in need.
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Looking Ahead to 2022
FISH continues adapting to best respond to the basic needs of the Sonoma Valley community. COVID continues to have a major impact on FISH services, with the onset of the Omicron variant leading to increased requests for rent, utility and food assistance.
One proposal for 2022 is to take a deep dive into our food operations to explore and reimagine how to address food insecurity. 2021 brought a decline in the use of the Food Pantry, some new legislation has impacted our donations, and the limited offers of food from Redwood Empire Food Bank, coupled by the recent hesitation from clients about expirations dates on canned goods, are indicators that it is time to gather data to better understand the needs and wishes of those who are food insecure. A grant from the Sonoma County Community Foundation will allow us to complete this project of reimagining how we can best provide food safety net services to our community.
With the support of our donors, partners, and volunteers, FISH can continue to remain responsive and adapt to serve the needs of our wonderful community in the years ahead.
In friendship,
Sandy
Sandy Piotter, Executive Director
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P.O. Box 507, Sonoma CA 95476-0507
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