FISHing for a good cause
Valerie Lacer, president of FISH of Lebanon, shows a certificate of appreciation she received for her 35 years of service at the nonprofit. Behind her are all the other volunteers of the organization who gathered together at First Presbyterian Church on March 7 to celebrate their work and accomplishments in 2024.
Last year, volunteers packed and distributed 3,370 sets of food, as well as 100 meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The food distributions amounted to 11,256 pounds of food donations, 46,275 pounds of Fresh Alliance food and 1,898 pounds of garden produce. They assisted 77 households with rent, 106 households with electric bills, 65 households with water bills, and five households with natural gas bills.
As many as 873 shoppers were able to take home clothes from the First Monday clothes closet for 2,537 people, and 141 parents took home clothes from the children’s closet for 490 kids. Volunteers also helped 11 households with their prescriptions and 19 people with their driver’s license or identification card.
In 2024, FISH received $34,500 in grant funding, and raised more than $4,500 from their flower basket sale and more than $3,000 from their Fall Bazaar. In total, FISH of Lebanon volunteers invested 9,698 hours of their time in 2024.
Photo by Sarah Brown
All signs point in the right direction
Build Lebanon Trail volunteers hold up a new directional sign at Gill’s Landing during a work day at the park. The day included ivy removal, tree planting and the installation of the sign. Last Fall, BLT completed an improved path at Gill’s Landing that connects the Old Mill Trail to River Park. More recently, the city removed a cyclone fence enclosure near the boat ramp, opening up the scenic view between the new pathway and the river.
Photo courtesy of BLT