POULSBO — Richard Koven’s first foray into local fundraising occurred 14 years ago when he joined the Rotary Club. He dressed up like a pizza slice and solicited donations for North Kitsap Fishline.
On Nov. 14, his wardrobe was more customary to that of a jewelry store owner, and the donation to Fishline considerably more sizable.
Koven, owner of Dahlquist’s Fine Jewelry, presented Fishline with a check for $10,000 — the proceeds from a contest hosted by Jewelers for Children, a charitable organization of people in the jewelry industry. The organization hosts an annual online challenge in fall; the 10 non-profits that get the most online votes nationwide receive $10,000 each.
To be a nominee, the non-profit must “have a mission that is primarily directed toward helping children 18 years of age or younger.” Voting took place Oct. 6-19.
In 2013, Coffee Oasis in Poulsbo was a winner. This year, Koven nominated Fishline.
At the presentation, Koven quipped that his industry has been known to save marriages — jewelry, get it? — but added that as a local business “we strive to find new ways to help” the community.
And help it will. That $10,000 will specifically go to Fishline’s Food for Thought program, which provides weekend meals for 150 North Kitsap School District students every weekend throughout the year. The meals are discreet — each weekend package resembles a large bagged lunch — are easy to prepare, and ensure children get the nutrition they need when they’re not in school.
Fishline Executive Director Mary Nader gave attendees a tour of Fishline’s new quarters on Viking Avenue — it’s the former site of Poulsbo RV. It’s 3rd Avenue site is now the home of Fishline’s Second Season Home, a used furniture store. Fishline also owns Second Season Thrift Store on Anderson Parkway.
The Viking Avenue site is spacious, with a grocery store-like area where Fishline clients shop using “Fish Bucks”; offices for housing and utility assistance and employment services (Bob Middlebrook of Sound Works Job Center assists job seekers here Mondays and Wednesdays, noon to 3 p.m.); and areas for storage and prep.
There’s no loss of dignity by walking in the front door. Fishline is a part of the local safety net –neighbors helping neighbors. The volunteers and staff know that of the people who give to Fishline, some may hit a rough patch at some point and need Fishline’s services. Fishline will be there to help them rebound. And the paying it forward goes on; in fact, many volunteers have been or are Fishline clients.
Fishline doesn’t just provide a hand during household emergencies, it provides a hand up, offering a variety of services to help people become economically stable and self-sufficient. It’s a tough charge.
This year, 700 households moved on to self-sufficiency, Nader said. “But they were replaced by 600 more. People are getting jobs, but they’re not living-wage jobs. Three-fourths of the jobs [available] are minimum-wage jobs.”
UPCOMING
— Fishline is changing its holiday meal distribution this year “because we now have our new building and the freedom all this space offers us,” Nader said.
“In years past, we had clients sign up for a Thanksgiving and/or Christmas box of food, and a number of the names were distributed to area churches so their parishioners could provide boxes as well. At Fishline, the 200 or so clients we directly served would get a packed box of a turkey and the trimmings, assembled by a crack team of volunteers amidst all the regular activity of a food bank.
“This year, we will move further toward our goal of all client choice by setting up our market as a holiday market. Those trimmings, the stuffing and the cranberries and the pumpkins, will be available in our market with all local families receiving ‘Holiday Bucks,’ extra budget that supplements their Fish Bucks and allows them to pick out their own meal items, pies, etc. The local churches have almost all decided to support this change, donating money and food to us to serve all 500 or so families coming to us for a turkey meal. They will volunteer the week before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving week to assist us in this busy time.
“[I] can’t tell you how wonderful it is for us to be able to improve our services and methodology because we now have the facility that allows that. We even now have enough freezer space for the turkeys that we hope will start rolling in. Kathy Smith is our long-time volunteer who will coordinate this implementation on our behalf.”
— The Poulsbo Community Orchestra will host a winter concert, a fundraiser for Fishline, on Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be performed at Vinland Lutheran Church, 2750 NW Finn Hill Road, in Poulsbo. The event is free; food and cash donations are encouraged.
— Look for Christmas Child trees soon at local businesses. Go to www.nkfishline.org or call 360-779-4191 for Christmas Child tree locations.
The Christmas Child program enables parents to create a personal wish list of gifts that would bring the most joy to their children during the holiday season. Parents or children list three wants and three needs specific to that child’s interests, hobbies, and abilities. 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.
Above, Fishline executive director Mary Nader tells Dahlquist’s Fine Jewelry owner Richard Koven and others about needs in the community, Nov. 19 at Fishline. Richard Walker / Herald
