News

The City of Poulsbo, in partnership with Empact Northwest, Gateway Fellowship, and Poulsbo Fishline announce the launch of “Poulsbo Cares,” an initiative to address some of the COVID-19 related needs of North Kitsap residents. The Poulsbo Cares initiative has three elements: (1) it helps Poulsbo residents unable to leave their homes to shop because of COVID-19 risk (2) it provides free meals twice a day for anyone struggling financially in North Kitsap, and (3) it provides meals, showers, internet, and laundry for people who are homeless or transient through the generous support of the Kitsap County Department of Human Services. “We’re really concerned about isolated seniors, people without homes, and people who have taken a financial hit from the stay at home order,” says Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson. “Poulsbo Cares is a community effort to help our friends and neighbors.”

Poulsbo Cares is an ongoing collaboration between Poulsbo government and three local nonprofits. The City’s Department of Housing, Health, and Human Services maintains a Poulsbo Cares HELP line (360 517 5037) for anyone looking for home deliveries, help with errands, or meal assistance. Volunteers are dispatched by Housing, Health, and Human Services and Empact Northwest, a nonprofit specializing in disaster relief run by Poulsbo Fire Captain Jake Gillanders. Gateway Fellowship hosts a kitchen turning out two meals a day, 7 days a week, along with a day shelter that provides respite, showers, and laundry service from 11am to 3pm every day. Fishline works with the City, Empact NW, and Gateway to assist individuals in need of nutrition, and donates food to the Gateway kitchen two times a week.

“One of the best things about Poulsbo Cares is its army of volunteers,” says Housing, Health and Human Services Director Kim Hendrickson. “Between the City and Empact Northwest, we have over 70 people who have signed up to volunteer in Poulsbo. There are people making Trader Joe runs, people transporting food from Fishline to Gateway, people chopping vegetables in the Gateway kitchen, and people sewing masks for other volunteers. My biggest challenge, at the moment, is to keep everyone engaged since we may not have enough work for all these wonderful people.” 

Poulsbo Cares involves local businesses as well as non-profits and volunteers. A local print shop designed a logo and t-shirts, a local real estate office organized a volunteer team, and another local business provided design services for posters and flyers. A local restaurant brought pizza for 60 today. “We are all pulling together to help each other,” says Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson, “and this is going to be even more important in the coming weeks.”

To request assistance from Poulsbo Cares, call the City of Poulsbo HELP line at 360 517 5037. Calls are answered from 8am to 6pm Monday-Friday. Assistance can also be requested online through Empact Northwest at https://www.empactnorthwest.org/covid.html

Requests to volunteer are welcome but cannot always be accommodated. Sign up forms are available on the Empact Northwest COVID-19 page, https://www.empactnorthwest.org/covid.html.

For more information, contact Kim Hendrickson at the City’s Housing, Health and Human Services Department 360 394 9794 or kimberlyh@cityofpoulsbo.com

Working closely with Fishline’s Business Manager and Interim Director, Marge Johnson, the Board of Directors begins their search for Fishline’s new Executive Director. See details below:

Executive Director

The Fishline Executive Director will be a high profile leader in the North Kitsap community, recognizing its role as a “go-to” organization for helping people. Reporting to the fifteen-member Board of Directors, the Executive Director will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for Fishline’s budget, programs and mission achievement. The ED leads eleven staff and four hundred volunteers. The ED will also be responsible for nurturing and strengthening relationships with the eleven partner agencies, providing wrap-around services, that have staff and program people co-located with Fishline in its primary location.

A key responsibility area for the ED is in fundraising and revenue development. Fishline is healthy financially with a 2020 budget of $3,523,000. Revenues come from a wide variety of sources including $550,000 from the Second Season Thrift Store and $1,500,000 of in-kind contributions to the food bank. While challenging, this can be the dream job for the right candidate!

Download the complete Position Profile here.

Food Bank

Fishline will require that people call in to have a box of groceries put together. We are moving to pre-packed boxes with limited choices and one grocery pickup a week in an effort to serve the greatest number possible. Please call 360-779-5190 for grocery pickups and leave your name and number and a Fishline sfaff person or volunteer will call you back. Modified pick up hours are as follows: 

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday Friday: 12 pm – 4pm
Wednesday: 2pm to 6pm

The volume of calls is increasing daily Our staff is returning calls for food orders and client services as quickly as possible. We are requesting that clients stay in their cars and drive through the delivery lane. Because of the drive through situation, for everyone’s safety, we are discouraging any walk-in orders other than those for clients who arrive on foot.

If you are not feeling well or cannot pick up your groceries, you can assign a friend, neighbor or family member to pick up for you. If you that is not possible, we can deliver. We are working on ways to get groceries and essentials to those at home: elderly, sick, or high risk. Please let the staff person who returns your call know if someone else is picking up your groceries or you need a delivery.

Please make sure to check back on our website or Facebook weekly for updates or changes.

Client Services

Fishline will continue to provide  all client services remotely via phone only. Please call (360) 779-5190 to arrange a phone appointment.

Donations

We are serving more households every week and continue to need your support.

Food Donations

Donations of food items (non-perishable only, please) will be accepted at the old Fishline building (please see the signs directing towards the Annex) and held for 96 hours to ensure no spread of the virus. Here are our most needed items:  Pasta, Chili (w/meat and w/out meat), Beef Stew, Soups, Top Ramen, Pasta Sauce, Canned Fruit, Canned Meat, Cooking Oil, Cereal, Sliced Bread, toilet paper, Diapers, sizes, 4, 5 & 6.

If people would prefer to donate non-perishables they can be dropped off at the annex at any time. There are directional signs letting people know where to go.  There’s a pallet outside the old building where donations of non-perishable items can be placed as they need to be sorted by the date they are received and held for a min. of 3 days prior to moving them to the main building for packing and distribution.

Financial Donations

We understand it might be difficult to get to a grocery store, and as such we are highly encouraging financial donations over food. Our buying power through Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline allow us to stretch our dollar further, while stocking our inventory with our client’s most needed items. Any donations you can provide financial, food, or gift cards will be very appreciated. You can share a financial gift directly to Fishline in one of the following ways: 

• Online: https://fishlinehelps.org/get-involved/donate/, 

• Mail: PO Box 1517, Poulsbo, WA  98370

• In Person: Drive thru our delivery lane  and drop off at donation door or drop off in our secure mailbox on campus. 

Second Season

We have suspended accepting donations to Second Season Thrift Store for the current time.  We have closed the store and do not have the room to store items or staff on hand for the present time. We encourage you to recycle or repurpose appropriate clothing and materials into face covers if you are able; or offering them to others to do the same. Visit here for instructions or copy and paste the following link into your browser: <https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html>

Face Covers/Masks

We are in need of face covers for our staff, volunteers, and to give to our clients. Please visit here for instructions or copy and paste the following link into your browser: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html.

Volunteers

We are looking for volunteers between the ages of 18 and 65, with no pre-existing health conditions to help with packing food boxes in the market or delivering to those who are not able to pick up food. Please contact Lidia Gamero at volunteer@fishlinehelps.org for more information.

Fishline is in need of protective masks for use by our staff & volunteers in the food bank and to give to clients who may need them.

What are the best materials to use? 

• Pillow Cases
• 100% Cotton T-shirts

These materials filter out approximately 50% of .02 micron particles, similar in size to the coronavirus. They are also easy to breathe through as surgical masks, which makes them comfortable enough to wear for several hours. 

Nose Bridge Materials

Masks need to have a bendable material for the nose area. This material* can be 3-4” of bendable materials, including: pipe cleaners, plastic covered twist ties, etc. 

*Make sure materials are machine washable and are sewn into the inside of one side using a zigzag stitch. 

The Importance of DIY Mask Breathability

The comfort of a mask depends on the material’s breathability. Comfort will influence how long a person can wear your mask. 

Mask Elastic & Fabric Ties

The best materials to use are elastic bands that go around the ears. If you don’t have elastic material, fabric strings (2 for the top and 2 for the bottom) or bias tape for strings work well. Make sure to fold the fabric in half. 

There are many great tutorials online. This one does not include nose bridge materials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FB–BOyTiU

Click here for a printable version of guidelines.

Food Bank

As of Monday, March 23rd, Fishline will require that people call in to have a box of groceries put together. We are moving to pre-packed boxes with limited choices in an effort to serve the greatest number possible. Please call 360-779-5190 for grocery pickups and leave your name and number and a Fishline sfaff person will call you back. Modified pick up hours are as follows: 

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday Friday: 12 pm – 4pm
Wednesday: 2pm to 6pm

The volume of calls is increasing daily Our staff is returning calls for food orders and client services as quickly as possible. We are requesting that clients stay in their cars and drive through the delivery lane. Because of the drive through situation, for everyone’s safety, we are discouraging any walk-in orders other than those for clients who arrive on foot.

If you are not feeling well or cannot pick up your groceries, you can assign a friend, neighbor or family member to pick up for you. If you that is not possible, we can deliver. We are working on ways to get groceries and essentials to those at home: elderly, sick, or high risk. Please let the staff person who returns your call know if someone else is picking up your groceries or you need a delivery.

Client Services

Fishline will continue to provide  all client services remotely via phone only. Please call (360) 779-5190 to arrange a phone appointment.

Donations

Donations of food items (non-perishable only, please) will be accepted at the old Fishline building (Annex) and held for 96 hours to ensure no spread of the virus. Here are our most needed items:  Pasta, Chili (w/meat and w/out meat), Beef Stew, Soups, Top Ramen, Pasta Sauce, Canned Fruit, Canned Meat, Cooking Oil, Cereal, Sliced Bread, toilet paper, Diapers, sizes, 4, 5 & 6

We understand it might be difficult to get to a grocery store, and as such we are highly encouraging financial donations over food. Our buying power through Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline allow us to stretch our dollar further, while stocking our inventory with our client’s most needed items. Any donations you can provide financial, food, or gift cards will be very appreciated. You can share a financial gift directly to Fishline here: https://fishlinehelps.org/get-involved/donate/

We have suspended accepting donations to Second Season for the current time.  We have closed our Thrift Store and do not have the room to store items or staff on hand for the present time.