The FISH Mission
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Herndon-Reston FISH, Inc., is a nonsectarian, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization providing Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help to Herndon and Reston residents facing short-term financial crises. By providing such emergency assistance we seek to prevent crisis situations from escalating and thereby causing significant disruptions in families’ ability to cope with situations which otherwise might lead to a downward spiral of in-stability and loss. Since 1969, FISH has served as a vital lifeline for families facing unexpected financial challenges.
FISH helps hundreds of predominantly very low-income families and individuals in all demographic categories by paying for rent, utilities, medical items and prescriptions, food, car repairs and other short-term emergency needs. FISH’s efforts are concentrated mostly on the almost 7,000 residents who live at or below the poverty level in Herndon and Reston. They are from all racial and ethnic groups, gender identities, language groups, and family types. Referrals are accepted from social workers in Fairfax County agencies, local schools, hospitals, and other nonprofit organizations, ensuring that community needs are addressed efficiently.When ongoing support is necessary, FISH collaborates with public and private providers to ensure long-term stability for vulnerable community members.
Important News About FISH
July 1, 2025, It was the start of a new fiscal year for FISH. This new beginning brings with it several important changes.
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FISH elected new officers and welcomed four new board members. Roy Miller replaces Elliot Wicks as President. David Mandel and Janet Hyman remain as Vice Presidents. Jack Gazlay continues as Treasurer, and Ricarda Dowling becomes Secretary.
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The four new board members are:
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Danielle Bracey
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Margaret Nichols
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Andy Sigle
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Patricia Wallach ​
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The FISH Executive Director, Carolyn Amacher, announced at the end of June that she would be leaving her position with FISH to accept another job. Thus, we are deciding how to fill this open position, recognizing that this gives us an opportunity to think carefully about the scope of this position. Mary Saunders, previously a FISH executive director, is filling in on a temporary basis during the interim.
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We are unable to adopt a new budget for the fiscal year because a major potential source of funding, the money we get from Fairfax County, depends on a decision that the County has yet to make. We anticipate that we will know the decision by the middle of July.
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FLING a Great Success
See Photos
A Message from
Roy Miller, the
New FISH President
When I first joined the Board of Directors of Herndon-Reston FISH, I was motivated by the expression heard frequently at its meetings: "Neighbors Helping Neighbors."
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I had a long career helping our neighbors in other countries, devoting myself to the delivery of basic health and nutrition services to people throughout the developing world: neighbors helping neighbors on a global scale. Herndon-Reston FISH gave me the opportunity to direct my energies toward helping my neighbors closer to home.
Although I first moved to Reston in 1988, I confess to having had little knowledge at the time about the difficulties faced by my neighbors when confronted with unanticipated challenges. Borrowing from a phrase heard often when working with children in the developing world, I now understand how a helping hand at the right moment gives my neighbors the opportunity to “survive and thrive.”
Thank you for whatever help you can give to FISH to enable us to continue to be neighbors helping neighbors.
Roy Miller, President
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A New Logo for Herndon-Reston FISH
As you can see at the top of the page, Herndon Reston FISH adopted a new logo. One reason we made the change was that the previous logo was sometimes misinterpreted as a Christian symbol, similar to what is often seen on car bumper stickers. Because we are a nonsectarian nonprofit organization, we wanted to avoid the confusion. But we also wanted to have a new logo that would be colorful, fresh, and modern and what we hope will convey an optimistic and hopeful outlook.
HRFISH Offices
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Our office address is 1801 Robert Fulton Drive, Suite 120-E. The building is located off of Sunrise Valley Drive near the Sunrise Valley Elementary School.
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The photo below shows the building.
