February Issue - Oxford/Orion FISH

February, 2016
‘Neighbors, look at what you’re making possible’
“We are so very blessed at the pantry.” Those words from FISH Board
Member Michelle Behm sum up the gratitude felt by the entire board
after reviewing the year-end report of Oxford/Orion FISH programs and
activities for 2015 (see below). The year-end “neighbors helping neighbors” report reflects one of the broadest outreaches
to those in need in our community since FISH
began in the 1970s.
Inside this
Issue:
* A record year of 2
outreach: Donating
time and energy
with food and funds
* FISH food
drop-off locations
*
*
*
*
Bulletin board
3
We’re going green
Next meeting
Prayer line
* ‘Thank yous’
4
are going both
ways–thanks
to FISH and
thanks from
FISH
We welcome your
comments and letters.
Don Danko, editor, at
[email protected].
Pantry is located at 487
First Street, Oxford
Township, MI 48371.
Hotline: 248-628-3933,
Option 0.
FISH President Laurene Baldwin sent this message
to FISHline readers: “It’s you, our donors and
volunteers, who are our neighbors doing the helping. How grateful we are for all you’re making
possible. On average last year we helped feed 36
needy families a week, plus distributing a total of
300 Easter and Thanksgiving baskets to families
who welcomed our gifts with thankful hearts.
The newest of the 12 FISH drop-off boxes is quite
a fancy addition to the lobby of the Beaumont
Medical Bldg. on Lapeer Road. It was decorated
by Cindy Zube who works in the Beaumont
Health Physical Therapy area. (See next page
for the location of all 12 drop-off locations.
“Your support involves much more than
keeping our pantry shelves stocked and
our families fed,” she added. “A total of
Continued on the next page
Page 2
A record year of outreach
Donating time and energy as well as food and funds
Continued from page 1
185 children in our FISH families
received backpacks filled with
school supplies this past Fall. In
addition, more than 200 children
received Christmas gifts thanks to
your donations. It was a record
year of outreach to the children of
our FISH clients.”
As is true with our volunteers, donor support of FISH
often includes the donation of time and energy as well
as food and funds. One example is the company-wide
support coming from Oxford’s Anytime Fitness (photos
above). Following the example set by owners Kelly
and Ted Rickabus, trainer Nicole LaCasse held a Thanksgiving Run (top photo) collecting donations to adopt more
children in this past year’s Angel FISH program. Similarly, Jennifer Bunting, manager of the Troy Orthodontist
office in Troy, organized an office-wide food drive supported by owner Dr. Patel-Parekh (center in the photo with
technician Judi and FISH Board member Michelle Behm.)
Volunteers will be back to work this month supporting the ONTV Food Drive 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday,
February 13. (See page 1.) It will be ONTV’s 6th Annual Food Drive. Past drives have collected more than
20,000 pounds of food and supplies for the hungry in the Oxford/Orion area.
Oxford/Orion FISH food drop-off locations
Following is a list of drop-off locations that can be used to contribute items to the pantry. Contributions can
also be dropped off at the Oxford/Orion FISH pantry in Oxford. See our website (oxfordorionfish.org) for
specific hours and days of operation at the pantry and the locations shown below.
Lake Orion Post Office
611 N. Axford St.
Lake Orion, MI 48362
ONTV: Orion Neighborhood Television
1349 Joslyn Rd.
Lake Orion, MI 48360
Oxford Post Office
52 E. Burdick St
Oxford, MI 48371
St. Joseph Catholic Church
714 N. Lapeer Rd.
Lake Orion, MI 48362
Hollywood Market
1101 S. Lapeer Rd.
Lake Orion, MI 48360
Oxford Village Offices
22 W. Burdick St.
Oxford, MI 48371
Lake Orion United Methodist Church
140 E. Flint St
Lake Orion, MI 48361
fLipSpot
233 Kay Industrial Drive
Orion Township, MI 48359
Paul’s Barber Shop
87 W. Burdick St
Oxford, MI 48371
Grondins Hair Center
1041 S. Lapeer Rd.
Lake Orion, MI 48360
Beaumont Medical Building
1455 S. Lapeer Road
Lake Orion, MI 48360
Addison Township Offices
1440 Rochester Rd
Leonard, MI 48367
Page 3
Bulletin
Board
Items that top our pantry’s Wish List for February include . . . chili, canned chicken, Manwich, canned fruit, canned
tomatoes, cereal, boxed pasta and canned beans (except black beans). Check our website, oxfordorionfish.org, for
other items as special needs arise.
Please help Orion Neighborhood Television help us . . . by encouraging your family and friends to participate in ONTV’s 6th Annual “5 for 5” food drive on Saturday, February 13. Bring five cans of food or $5 to
the ONTV studio at the Orion Community Center on Joslyn Rd. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and enter the raffle
for more than a dozen prizes. Live music and family entertainment will be featured on the network throughout
the day. Thank you in advance, Ian Locke and ONTV, for helping us reach out to our community for help.
We are in need of office volunteers . . . If you have a few hours of volunteer time that you can give us each
month, we’d love to have your support as one of our office volunteers. You would be asked to work in our pantry
office in Oxford Township from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. two times a month and primarily be responsible for scheduling
clients for their monthly shopping visits to the pantry. If you can help us, please call 248-628-3933.
A brochure is available . . . highlighting Oxford/Orion FISH programs in support of needy individuals and families
in our community. Call 248-628-3933 to have a copy sent to you. The brochure is a good way to introduce family
and friends to the “neighbors helping neighbors” outreach that lies at the heart of FISH.
A special note of thanks . . . to the Alexander family for their gift to our food pantry on Christmas Eve.
Pantry totals for December
Help us to go green
Help us “go green” by sending us your email address so
you can receive your monthly issue of FISHline electronically. This helps us save on printing and postage and gets
our monthly issues to you a little earlier, and with a touch
of color as well. Email us at [email protected]
and we’ll be happy to add your address to our list.
Households served:
Individuals served:
Amount of food:
Number of new clients:
170
388
16,670 pounds
8
Our next General Meeting will be held at 9 a.m.,
Thursday, February 11, at the
Lake Orion United Methodist Church.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
The Prayer Line
For strong community support and participation in this month’s ONTV food drive.
In thanksgiving for all the support Oxford/Orion FISH receives from our donors and volunteers.
For all those who have helped our neighbors in need by participating in the 2015 Holiday Simply Give Campaign.
For John Jarvis and Mary Boberg on their continued recovery from health issues.
Almighty God, whose great commandment is that we shall love our neighbors as ourselves, and who has taught us that
we should do to others as we would have them do to us, we ask your blessing upon the work and growth of the FISH
movement throughout the world. As our purpose is to help our fellow persons, and to promote all that is good in the
life of our community, so we pray that you will strengthen our hands in all our undertakings, and that your work may
spread the spirit of fellowship and goodwill among all people.
Page 4
‘Thank yous’ are going both ways – to FISH and from FISH
Thank yous to FISH: Families of many of the 202
children who received gifts this Christmas thanks to the
Angel FISH program took time to send a note of thanks
to their “angels,” as the notes on the left show. There was a
100 percent client response to this year’s program, reports
Lynn Kennis, head of the Angel FISH Committee. “The
gratitude expressed in the client thank yous touched us
deeply,” she said. “We get back much more than we give.”
A thank you from FISH: Cashier Torry at the Meijer
Store in Oxford almost single-handedly made this past
holiday Simply Give program a success. She sold more
than 800 Simply Give cards to Meijer customers in
November and December, helping
to raise thousands of dollars for
our food pantry. Meijer matched
all of the donations, including
double-matching the Simply Give
cards that were bought on doublematch days in mid November.
With deep gratitude, we salute
Torry as FISHline’s Volunteer of
the Month. Thank you, Torry.
Oxford/Orion FISH
P.O. Box 732
LAKE ORION, MI 48361
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
PERMIT NO. 44
Lake Orion, MI
Saturday, February 13
Return Service Requested UPSP non-profit - 26873