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FISH Celebrating 50
Years in the Darke County Community
The Fish Choice Pantry will kick off our annual food drive during the
2017 Illumination Festival on Saturday, September 16, 2017.
2017 marks the 50th Anniversary of Fish in Darke County and the 9th
Annual Feed Darke County Food Drive. Our Darke County FISH
organization began with a small group of community minded people who
saw many un-met needs around and about Greenville.
In December of 1967 they came together to begin an ecumenical outreach
they simply called ‘FISH’. The fish ( <>< or Ichthus)
was a symbol used by early Christians who might have been persecuted
had their allegiance to the principles espoused by Christ been
known. The movement began in England where people were concerned
about the lack of “neighborliness” in their communities. This
movement rapidly spread around the globe, now existing as independent
entities of neighbors helping neighbors in communities across the
U.S.
To get the word out to our community flyers were passed around
Greenville asking people with needs, any need, to call the FISH number
and make their request. In the beginning, these willing servants
provided services such as babysitting, driving people to Dr
Appointments, paying on utility bills, delivering groceries to homes,
and everything in between! The Mitten Tree (donations of mittens,
scarves and hats for Darke County children) was added during the
Christmas season after a couple of years. A few years later it
was decided the main needs were food and help with utilities and for
several more years FISH’s main focus were those two needs.
FISH again changed their directives in 2000-2001 to mainly helping the
Greenville area with food deliveries. In 2009 another change came
and it was a big one! In the fall of 2009 FISH was moved to a
location on Gray Ave and became a ‘choice’ pantry and also a 501©(3) or
non-profit organization, making all donations tax exempt! Home
deliveries were still made to people unable to come to the pantry due
to illness or transportation, but the majority of our neighbors with
food needs were encouraged to come and ‘shop’ at our pantry.
The Fish Choice Pantry was open to the public twice a week for people
to ‘choose’ food for their families instead of being met at the door
with a bag of groceries they may or may not use. Clients could
pick the foods to fit their individual dietary needs and wants.
In the fall of 2009 the initial Feed Darke County Food Drive was
started by a then local pastor, Bill Lyle, who was very passionate
about supporting this community effort. In 2012 The Choice Pantry
moved from Gray Ave to 400 Markwith Ave in Greenville, where it is now
located. Home deliveries are still made 6 days a week (Monday –
Saturday) to ‘shut-ins’ by calling 937-548-2000. This is the same
number made available to our neighbors back in 1967! The pantry is open
to the public three times a week. Our open hours are:
Monday: 1-2 PM, Wednesday: 10-11 AM & Friday: 4-5 PM.
Fish became a tax site for the Ohio Benefit Bank in the fall of 2015 by
partnering with them to provide a free tax completion service to Darke
and our surrounding counties. This is possible through a grant
offered by the Ohio Association of Food Banks. Last year, alone,
our site completed 994 tax forms for 511 clients and ranked 13 in the
state.
Fish continues to rely on our friends and neighbors for their support
to keep our pantry stocked and open! We also still receive
hundreds of gloves, hats and scarves each year through the Mitten Tree
outreach. These items are donated to the Darke County Head
Start. We’ve even added story books to this donation in the last
couple of years! We could not have provided the necessary help needed
in our community for the past 50 years without the generous support of
our Darke County family! Fish has received food and monetary
donations from many of our local businesses, churches, organizations
and individuals as well as from other counties and states, over the
years. We have also received many hours of service from our
dedicated volunteers. Choice Pantry volunteers logged over 2,500
hours in the pantry alone in 2016. We are always in need of help with
sorting, stocking, cleaning, serving clients during open hours and
delivering food to shut-ins. As you can see we have many, many
supporters and are grateful for each and every one.
If you would like to donate to the Feed Darke County food drive or
volunteer your time, there are many ways you can do so. Are you
are attending the Illumination Festival? Bring non-perishable food to
the gate on your way in. You could organize a food drive for your
company, club or church during the harvest season or any time during
the year. Donations can also be dropped off in the receptacle
located behind the food pantry at your convenience. Remember, donations
to Fish can be deducted from your taxes! Contact Kristy Cutarelli
at 937-316-8420if making a large or perishable donation or if you would
like more information on how you can become involved with our food
pantry, home deliveries or by becoming a tax counselor.
Photo: County News Online file photo; Greenville Junior High and
Woodland students collect over 3,000 pounds of food for FISH.
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