We are almost ready for the 10th annual FISH Fling Gala. The FISH Fling is our primary fundraising event and we hope you will attend. The fling will be held at the Hyatt Dulles Hotel this year and a fun evening of dinner, dancing, raffles, and auctions has been planned. If you have not received an invitation, please call Herndon-Reston FISH at 571-267-2977 or email fish@herndonrestonfish.org and one will be sent to you. At the event we recognize volunteers who have contributed to the success of FISH. Below are our 2015 Star Fish honorees. Please join us in recognizing their contributions. 

Jocelyn Colao has been a volunteer pricer at the Bargain Loft for over 20 years. Although she can do it all, Jocelyn specializes in identifying, cleaning, pricing, and displaying donated linens. Her careful handling of vintage lace and fragile fabrics greatly increases their value. In addition to her work with donated linens, Jocelyn's lifetime of traveling makes her an indispensable part of our pricing team. The years she lived in Europe and Africa make her a great resource when identifying unusual and valuable donations. We are very lucky to have a volunteer as dedicated as Jocelyn. 

Jane and Mike Drewes were long-time Reston residents who volunteered in the community in many capacities. In 2007 they moved to Shepherdstown WV but continued to drive to Reston for volunteer activities. They started volunteering for FISH in 2006, the year of the first FISH Fling Gala and Fundraiser. Jane designed the decorations and they built our huge FISH sign that has been used behind the band at every Fling Gala. All of this was done at no cost to FISH. Mike created an auction check-out program that greatly accelerates the check-out process and has been used at many charitable events. Congratulations to Jane and Mike for their outstanding service for Herndon-Reston FISH! 

Diane Mandel manages the huge tasks of establishing and maintaining the schedule of Assistance Workers who handle the client requests for financial assistance from FISH. These volunteers make FISH's "Instant" help a reality. Diane makes certain the volunteers are trained and ready to take calls and she serves as a phone volunteer herself. Prior to becoming a FISH volunteer, Diane worked as a Physical Therapist. Diane states, "I love what FISH does and what it stands for" and she finds her involvement very fulfilling in her retirement years. 

Chuck Veatch, owner of Charles A. Veatch & Associates, provided three storage units for FISH free of charge for many years. It is Chuck's good fortune that his storage facility is located near the new Weihle Avenue Silver Line Station. In the near future, we will see tall buildings where we used to keep our seasonal merchandise. We are all very appreciative for this contribution and other charitable works he does. Chuck states that, "It has been my pleasure to support the non profits in Reston through the years". 

CDW has been a FISH Fling sponsor since 2008, and has provided many fabulous electronic products for our games and for both our silent and live auctions.  Donated products include cameras, iPads, laptop computers, Kindles, and televisions of all sizes and levels of sophistication. CDW is a leading provider of integrated information technology solutions in the U.S. and Canada. A Fortune 500 company, CDW was founded in 1984 and employs more than 6,900 workers. In 2013, the company generated net sales of more than $10.7 billion. We greatly appreciate their long-term association with FISH.     

In addition to the FISH Fling and proceeds from the Bargain Loft thrift store, FISH depends on donations from grants, individuals, organizations, and other non-profits. Last year individuals and organizations provided about 30% of our income. Above are two examples that demonstrate the generosity of the community to support FISH.

On the left, Lisa Groves accepts a check from Kathleen Allen of DaVita Dialysis in Herndon. Others in the picture are patients and staff. On the right, volunteers hand out hot chocolate provided by Panera Bread in the Woodland Park Shopping Center in Herndon. From left: Janie Odlen, Shashank Sharma, Rachel Ramey and Carey Ramey. Myers Public Relations, LLC, arranged for FISH to receive donations during the arrival of Santa Claus to the shopping center. Without support from groups such as these, FISH would not be able to help so many in our community.

FISH is a member of the following campaigns: 

United Way Campaign No. 8359

Combined Federal Campaign No. 83534