Herndon-Reston FISH
Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help
2024 FISH Fling
An enjoyable evening celebrating 55 years of
Service to the Herndon – Reston Community
On the evening of June 9, 2024, friends, supporters, volunteers, staff, and the FISH Directors celebrated an gala evening that included both a silent and live auction, a wine pull, and a delectable dinner and recognition of people who have made outstanding contributions to the mission of Herndon – Reston FISH. (Click here for photos of the event.)
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The group was also favored with a documentary film about FISH produced by documentary film students at George Mason University.​
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The master of ceremonies for the event was Andy Sigle, and numerous local public officials congratulated FISH for 55 years of service to the community.
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Approximately 100 people attended the event, and FISH realized revenues of approximately $30,000 to support our financial assistance programs in the community.
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As is our tradition, we recognized a variety of people as "Starfish" for their outstanding contributions to FISH in this last year. Information about these supporters is outlined below.
2024 StarFISH
When he came to Washington D.C., he spent most of the remainder of his career working for several small think tanks that focused on finding ways to cover the uninsured and to contain healthcare costs. He indicated that his areas of research essentially paralleled the issues addressed in the Affordable Care Act.
Elliot is impressed and inspired by HRFISH Board members, staff and volunteers. He is stirred by the organization’s mission of helping people in need in our community. He indicated that both in his professional life and in other activities, he has been committed to finding ways to improve the lives of people with limited resources, a perspective that he learned from his parents and from his sister who served in the Peace Corps.
Rosemary Leonard, a Bargain Loft volunteer, was born and raised in the Northeast, but moved to Colorado after having children. When she moved back East in 1974, Rosemary worked as a staffer for a U.S. Senator for three terms. In 1998, always interested in history and vintage antiques, Rosemary began working at an antiques mall. She got her license, rented space, and operated her own business for 12 years. She moved to Reston in 2011, and shortly discovered The Bargain Loft. Rosemary started shopping at the store and became a volunteer about 11 years ago. With her wealth of experience in vintage items, not surprisingly, Rosemary is a great researcher and pricer two afternoons a week. She is valued even more for her willingness to come in and help whenever needed. She likes to tell people about The Bargain Loft and volunteer opportunities. Rosemary will never forget the plight of a HRFISH client, who had to quit her job to take care of her sick son and then missed a mortgage payment. HRFISH was able to help.
Aspen Jewelry Designs and Kurt Rose is our Corporate StarFISH this year. Kurt is General Manager of Aspen Jewelry Designs. He has generously given his time and expertise in helping The Bargain Loft, a volunteer-run thrift store for the support of Herndon-Reston FISH. How did Kurt learn about HRFISH? He went to South Lakes High School with HRFISH Board member Susan Hyman Sather, who, along with her mother Janet Hyman, would ask him for jewelry donations on behalf of the FISH Fling or The Bargain Loft. Since then, he has graciously evaluated many of the jewelry donations pro bono and has given The Bargain Loft checks for broken jewelry. Kurt and his wife Dianne are long-time Reston residents. They love their community and have found giving back and helping to change lives fun and rewarding. Kurt has been in the Herndon-Reston Rotary Club for 30 years and sits on the Board of Directors of the Reston Museum and Historic Trust as well as Kids Are First. Along with his wife and Andy and Kim Sigle, Kurt has at the PTSA South Lakes High School Food Pantry. In fact, the four of them have grown so close through all their volunteer time together that, in 2022, they founded the RoSigle Community Giving Foundation, an organization that promotes literacy and education within Northern Virginia.
Renee Boyle an Assistance Volunteer and FISH Fling Auction Co-Chair became interested in HRFISH 5 years ago through Mary Saunders shortly after Mary became Executive Director. They were both members of a group of fundraising professionals working for nonprofit organizations in Fairfax County.
The Assistance Volunteer process has given Renee a greater appreciation for what her mother did during her career. As a county social service intake worker and eventual head of the department, her mother helped residents and migrant workers to access financial assistance, food stamps and energy assistance. She helped all people in need, especially women like herself who had children to feed, but no income after they fled from domestic violence. Renee hopes to honor her mother’s work through her volunteer efforts with HRFISH. Renee’s call to us at this year’s FISH Fling: “Please don’t let HRFISH resources fall short, because the need is growing.”
Sheila Grooms is an Assistance Volunteer. When her daughter was 2 years old, Sheilabecame a single parent. Things were tough then, but a church helped her through the immediate needs of those days and ever since she has been paying it forward in her community.
Sheila joined HRFISH in June 2022 through VolunteerMatch plus she knew Executive Directive Mary Saunders through their volunteer work with the American Cancer Society. She also volunteers with Compassus, a hospice care group. She also serves at Reston’s St Anne’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry, and she packs two-days of food for kids in need. Sheila loves to take her grandsons with her so they can see the needs and that not everyone has enough food. She tells them, “If you don’t know what to do, help your neighbor and be kind.”
Paulette Mlakar and her husband were married for 32 years but she has been widowed for 23 years. Her husband was a fireman, and they both were on the PTA. Her parents instilled in her a sense of giving back to the community. Because Paulette worked for an environmental company, she looked for places that sold recycled things and that’s how she found The Bargain Loft, a program of Herndon-Reston FISH. She started shopping at the store and it wasn’t long before she started volunteering in June of 2011. Paulette initially unpacked donations, washed or cleaned them, vacuumed the store, took out the trash, and “whatever made it easier for other people.” As her responsibilities increased, Paulette was asked to take over the cleaning and pricing of donated clothing. She also takes unusable and unsaleable metal items to a local recycling center, which in turn provides a monetary donation to the store.
Auction & Raffle Contributors
A Thousand Stories
Anonymous
Jane Kinzler Anthony
Arts Herndon
Aspen Jewelry Designs
Bob Averne
Barcelona Wine Bar
Bargain Loft
Barrel Oak Winery & Brewery
BarTaco
Beth Bittenbender
Bobby G. Pets Reptile Entertainment
JoAnn Bordeaux
Renee Boyle
Steven Brown
Cantina d'Italia
Lisa Carroll
Chiboo Bakery
Christy Adams Salon & Spa
Chuy's
Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants
Crème de la Crop
Crust Pizzeria Napoletana
Dulles Golf Center & Sports Park
Farm Brewery at Broad Run
Flagship Car Wash
Glory Days GrillAminta Gold
David & Diane Mandel
Marco's Pizza Herndon
Merrifield Gardens
Mira Spa and Salon
Hiroko Miyakawa
Monster Mini Golf
Sandy Morris
Chris Najjar
Next Stop Theatre
Not Your Average Joe's
Nothing Bundt Cakes
N'Used Fashions
Renette Oklewicz
Outback Steakhouse
Paradise Indian Cuisine
Great Harvest Bread Company
Gregorio’s Trattoria
Herndon Community Center
Hidden Creek Country Club
Joseph Hyman
International Spy Museum
Jimmy's Old Town Tavern
Susan Kelly
La Ong Thai Bistro
Pat Macintyre
Ruth Percival
Keith Perich
PINOT’S Palette
Red’s Table
Reston Association
Reston Community Center
Reston Garden Club
River and Trail Outfitters
Ruth's Chris Steak House
Mary & Charlie Saunders
Scenthound Dog Grooming
Scissors & Scotch
Scrawl Books
Virginia Delegate Marcus Simon
The Jeff Lubin Portrait Studio
The Pink Reef
Total Wine & More
Trader Joe's
Lynn Warner
Wegmans, Reston
Weird Brothers Coffee
Bonnie Whyte
Wiygul Automotive
Wolf Trap Foundation
Kathleen Woodward
Brenda Wulff
Wine Pull Donors
Anonymous
Coopers Hawk Winery
Jack & Claire Gazlay
David & Diane Mandel
Judith Mandrgoc
Roy & Hermineh Miller
Bob & Annette Reed
Mary & Charlie Saunder
Other Donors
Anonymous
Lisa Carroll
Barbara Ewalt
James & Nanna Gilley
William & Robyn Kampf
Edward Robichaud