Carson City’s FISH holds grand re-opening

The Carson City FISH celebrated its grand re-opening Thursday night to showcase its new thrift shop and the services it offers.

Recently, the FISH thrift store, located at Carson and Long Streets, underwent a makeover, revamping the interior and exterior of the building. Executive Director Jim Peckham said by hosting the grand reopening, they can both introduce the new building to the community and show Carson City what the shelter does.

“It was a face-lift on the inside and outside and it was a way to bring people here for tours because we are more than a thrift shop,” Peckham said. “We try to be a hand up instead of a handout.”

For the ceremony, FISH offered a free barbecue dinner and tours around the campus, giving community members an opportunity to see the different services provided. Tour guests had the opportunity to see the Ross Clinic, client services, the food bank and dining room to learn more about how the shelter runs.

“It is all about getting them on campus because most of the community has no idea that all this was here,” Peckham said.

FISH prides itself on not providing handouts, but to help provide the services to help a homeless individual or family get back on their feet. In 2015, the shelter serviced more than 25,000 clients through different services and provided about 470,000 meals between the dining hall and food bank.

“We save Carson City over $5 million in taxes because we provide social services and don’t rely on the government for funding,” Peckham said. “We don’t have a one size fits all program here, we can fine tune for specific needs to help people succeed.” The night concluded with a ribbon cutting to introduce the new store and a barbecue dinner for all to enjoy.