FISH

Please join this great community effort–Northwest Corner Gives 2026 Campaign–with a gift to FISH. We need your help to support our FISH Food Pantry and FISH Shelter. giving those in need a hand up. The donations received from generous donors and the Northwest Corner Gives campaign will be used specifically to support our operating costs.

Amazing things continue to happen under our roof at FISH/Friends in Service to Humanity of Northwestern CT. Yet, funding has been a challenge. We’ve been blessed with heroes and angels, and are very grateful, yet most grants we receive are restricted. We need operational funding.

The Pantry depends on community donations, yet food drive donations are way down since the pandemic, so we are writing grants to purchase food items–as food flies off our shelves. In this past year, our numbers have leaped by more than 1,000 new clients to nearly 3000 neighbors needing food assistance.  And at the FISH Shelter, we receive only 65-70% of the funds needed to operate from the DOH/Department of Housing.

Our Mission at FISH/Friends in Service to Humanity of NWCT is to provide the most basic of human needs–food, shelter and HOPE. The FISH Homeless Shelter has 35 beds, five of which are designated for veterans. We currently have three families housed with eight children. Last year we served: 124 residents: 87 adults, 18 veterans and 19 children, as they awaited housing. Our Case Manager is dedicated to overseeing educational and social service resources, medical and mental health needs, employment opportunities and housing possibilities to lead to one’s independent, stable, and future–into permanent supportive housing. We make possible educational opportunities (GED and NCCC vocational training classes) and life skills workshops. 

We are seeing a great need to house families, and most especially seniors who have lost their apartments due to their Social Security check not stretching to cover their expenses.  FISH also has a large food pantry that in the past year has grown by over 1,000 neighbors in need, to now serve over 2,900 individuals/nearly 1000 families twice monthly. In 2025, the FISH Food Pantry distributed enough food to serve over 183,000 meals, which we will likely be more this year due to the SNAP cuts. Nonprofit pantries take on the food shortage crisis with few resources, and no government funding. We do our best, sometimes needing to restock our shelves three times a day. We see the very human, social welfare challenges of families, individuals and vets facing life crisis. We strive to restore and rebuild the confidence and self-worth of those who are the most vulnerable and seek our help.

FISH has proven resilient, with renewed energy and faith in our future. We have never missed a beat as our staff and volunteers continue to serve tirelessly and with courage. We continue to be tenacious in our delivery of services, keeping people safe and well, to the best of our ability, as they await supportive, affordable housing placement. The trend in the past couple of years has changed in the Shelter with half of our residents being seniors and homeless families. We are here to help them through their trauma–with some face aging challenges such as dementia, immobility with the need to use walkers and canes, as well as having hearing issues.

We invite you to please join us in our service work with our homeless and food insecure neighbors in need, by stepping up and giving us a helping hand with a donation. There have been so many of you shining in your goodness and generosity. We believe we are community partners serving humanity and making a positive impact to change lives for the better. Thank you.