If interested or want to know more, please call the BLC church office at
(703) 978-3131, or email to bethlehemlutheran@blclife.org
When you volunteer with FISH, you can help...
A mother and children are hungry and need food...
An ailing man needs a prescription to begin recovery...
An elderly woman needs a ride to a doctor's appointment...
A frightened family faces eviction and homelessness...
How can we respond to those needs as a sympathetic neighbor and concerned Christian?
Fairfax FISH serves people when they have no food for their families or formula for their babies, no transportation to a doctor's appointment or a counseling session, no money to pay their rent or utility bills.
Fairfax FISH is an ecumenical outreach program serving people in the greater Fairfax City area. Every month an average of 70 families turn to FISH for a helping hand. Each weekday caring volunteers respond to their neighbors in need of:
Food, Rental/Mortgage Assistance , Utility Assistance, Transportation, Prescriptions, Gas
FISH has no paid professional staff and minimal operating expenses, which frees 98% of the budget for direct outreach services.
FISH provides opportunities to put faith into action by serving our neighbors. Have you been looking for a meaningful way to contribute to our community but don't have a lot of time?
- Phone Capitan or Drivers Needed: Do you have a weekday morning or afternoon free one day a month? BLC volunteers work as telephone captains or drivers one day a month. Telephone captains are trained to handle emergency requests and coordinate drivers who provide transportation to medical appointments and deliver food and prescriptions. Fairfax County Human Services Intake (222-0880) receives and relays all calls to the telephone captains on duty. Presently, FISH has hours that coincide with this office, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
- Food Donations for the Food Pantry Please bring non-perishables every third Sunday for the BLC food drive. Donations go to the Fairfax Food Pantry.
- Food Pantry and Clothing Closet Workers Needed: Could you find three hours on a Tuesday or Thursday morning once a month (or even less often)? The wonderful ministry of the food pantry and clothing closet could use some additional helping hands. The only requirement is a heart willing to serve those less fortunate. If, by chance, you have some knowledge of Spanish you would find this an excellent opportunity to practice it because of the many Hispanic clients who come each week to this facility.
Do you feel God Calling you to assist in this mission? Please contact the BLC church office at
(703) 978-3131, or email to bethlehemlutheran@blclife.org for more information or to volunteer.
In 1961 church members in Oxford, England, organized the first FISH to provide assistance to their neighbors. The movement spread quickly and there are now countless such organizations around the world. In Fairfax, it began in 1967 when seven churches in the area formed Fairfax FISH. Now, more than 30 years on, the organization comprises 21 member churches who have pooled financial and personnel resources as members of Fairfax FISH Inc., to more effectively and efficiently serve the needy in our community. There are 10 other such organizations serving the whole of Fairfax County.
- In 1997 Fairfax FISH volunteers served over 12,262 hours, traveled nearly 14,000 miles and completed 1,474 requests for assistance to those less fortunate.
- In 1997 Fairfax FISH dispensed over $82,000 of donated funds for rent, mortgage, utilities, prescriptions and other miscellaneous payments.
- In addition 177 families and individuals were helped with food from 7 food pantries and the purchase of fresh produce and baby items.
- The churches contribute funds from their Mission Outreach Programs as well as providing volunteer captains, drivers and workers who sort and maintain the food pantries and a clothing closet.
- You can donate to Fairfax FISH through the United Way/Combined Federal Campaign (FISH's number is 8305) or you can make a private donation. Because Fairfax FISH is composed entirely of volunteers working out of their homes, the organization's overhead is under 3%, an almost unheard of figure. When you give to Fairfax FISH, you can be assured that almost all of your contribution is going directly to help those in need in our community.
- Commitment of time as a FISH volunteer is only 4 - 5 hours every five weeks. As a captain you would spend this time in your own home responding to calls from the county social services office (a perfect job for young mothers or the homebound!). Drivers also spend their duty time at home awaiting a call to transport food or a "client" to a medical appointment. NB: All clients are screened by the social services and no personal names/telephone numbers are given out to clients.
- FISH volunteers derive great satisfaction from serving their community in this way because they know they are REALLY making a difference.
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