Causes: Food, Food Banks & Pantries

Mission: FISH of Greater New Haven was founded in 1968 as a cooperative, faith based service organization providing a host of services carried out on a strictly volunteer basis. Grocery delivery has been a consistent theme, becoming the sole service provided in the 1970’s. FISH today is a non denominational, non sectarian organization committed to addressing food insecurity as it impacts low income, homebound households in the greater New Haven area.

Results: In the past two years, FISH has experienced a remarkable evolution. Up until 2014 FISH operated as an emergency food provider for those in crisis. Clients would call the FISH hotline to request a onetime grocery delivery. The demand was astounding, the phone lines constantly ringing and receiving service was akin to a lottery system. Much of the food delivered came from community and faith based organizations which, in practical terms, meant odd assortments of shelf stable food, sometimes of questionable nutritional content. FISH was doing important work, admirably, serving hundreds every year with a vast network of volunteers. Over the years, FISH came to represent grocery assistance in crisis. In late 2014, FISH began anew with a new mission, new director and a new focus of operation. FISH – Food In Service to the Homebound. FISH endeavors to provide “hope and groceries” to those who are unable to access local food pantries or traditional grocery stores. It was understood that for many, the use of food pantries was an unfortunate fact of life. For those unable to access traditional food pantries, what resources were available? Those who were disabled, immobile, suffering from chronic illnesses, the frail elderly, mothers with medically fragile children, veterans with PTSD, the mentally challenged; this was the population FISH began to serve exclusively. The intake process was modified to include a series of questions which sought to identify the truly homebound and most in need. The delivery system was redesigned to provide regular monthly deliveries consisting of two weeks worth of highly nutritious and varied food. Reusable cloth grocery bags were introduced in 2015 which reduced waste and landfill concerns while providing a way for our clients to participate in the process. Returning the empty bags each month ensured a degree of engagement, an important feature for many facing isolation. Inspired and guided by new Board members, FISH implemented use of TABLEAU software in 2016, providing a visual snapshot of delivery data, neighborhood demographics, peak delivery load and other analytics which assist in service delivery improvements and quantifying areas of greatest need. A concerted outreach and educational process was carried out by the Executive Director mid 2016 establishing a direct referral relationship with other service providers such as Clifford Beers Clinic, Cornell Scott Health Centers, Agency on Aging, Yale New Haven Health discharge department, VNA (Visiting Nurses Association), among others. Referrals from other service providers allow FISH to reach those in great need while providing a valuable resource for fellow service agencies. In February 2017, a peer reviewed vulnerability scale was introduced with the goal of establishing an objective assessment of potential client need. The vulnerability scale (vs) assigns a point system to responses provided by potential clients during the intake process and allows

Target demographics: The primary mission of FISH of Greater New Haven, Inc. , is to provide grocery assistance to the home-bound in the New Haven area. We deliver free bags of nutritionally sound groceries to households in New Haven. The households include families with children, elderly, sick, disabled, veterans, unemployed and underemployed individuals. Our clients are often unable to travel walk-in or mobile pantries and cannot afford an adequate supply of food. FISH is the only agency in the area to deliver free food to its (unfortunately) growing clientele. FISH of Greater New Haven remains a social service organization that is non-profit and non-denominational. FISH is an organization sustained by volunteers who are active service providers, and financial supporters.

Direct beneficiaries per year: over 450 families and over 1500 individuals with both monthly and emergency food deliveries.

Geographic areas served: The Greater new Haven Ct areas serving New have, West haven, and Hamden.

Programs: FISH is the only social service agency in New Haven that delivers directly to the homes of those who are homebound and iin food crisis. With 2 paid staff, the Director, FISH is staffed by a large group of dedicated volunteers. We deliver 2 weeks worth of groceries for each member of the household at no cost to them. We partner with many local agencies from New Haven who help with the bagging and deliveries, such as Marrakesh, Chapel Haven, The Kennedy Center & ACORD, and Opportunity House . Without their help we would not be able to serve as many people as we do. Their commitment to help FISH benefits their consumers who feel a sense of pride and service to their community. A few of our clients who receive food also volunteer for FISH. Our main purpose is to help feed those in food crisis.