ourstory

Our Story

Dewey and Barbara Sims had the idea of helping to feed the needy more than
thirty years ago. At that time, their home pantry was meager, but they still
managed to help those who were even needier than they were. This idea
finally came to fruition in 1997 when they opened a food pantry at a local
church. This food pantry grew from a six by eight foot room to a building that
previously was a two-car garage.                            The first month in 1997,
70 families were given food. By                              the time this food pantry
closed in 2001, this number had                                grown to 1,490 families
a month.

The day after the decision to close the food pantry, God showed how He was
behind the formation of open-to-all, no restrictions, food pantry and Fishnet
Missions was born.                            A large building was immediately
provided, rent                                   free, in a prime location of Jacksonville.
Next, all the metal                           shelving that was necessary to store the
food was donated.                          Three primary sources of food gave their
premise inspection and immediate okay: The Arkansas Food Bank, Potluck
and Feed the Children. The Department of health gave a temporary approval
with a few changes to be made for final approval (which was later obtained).
There were no hard-fought victories; God was fighting all the battles before
Fishnet had a chance to skirmish. Dewey and Barbara had already paid most
of the cost for an Army "Mobile Kitchen" and the money to finish paying for it
came in during the first week. There were two freezers donated by Potluck
and individuals donated two kitchen ranges, a forklift, two computers and
printers. This was all done before Fishnet Missions even opened.

Fishnet Missions of Jacksonville, Inc. is an organization dedicated to providing
food for the needy and less fortunate people whenever they can be reached. It
is a faith-based organization made up entirely of volunteer workers who work
to collect the food and then prepare it for distribution. There are no paid
workers at any level. Fishnet Missions is a 501(C)3 corporation and all
contributions are tax deductible. Anyone coming through our door in need of
food is never turned away. We give food to anyone and everyone in need.

Later, more equipment was donated: a refrigerator, two microwaves and two
large metal tables. The owner of the building came by to see how things were
going on one of the food distribution days and seeing the crowd, decided
Fishnet Missions needed more room and donated the rest of the building.
Thus, Angels in Action had a meeting place.

Angels in Action is a group of women who meet each Tuesday and do various
projects to help Fishnet Missions recipients or the community as a whole. For
Christmas 2002, they gave out 50 stockings and toys to needy children. They
also gave out one Hallmark photo album, two picture frames, a special
Christmas ornament, a ham, and oranges to each adult. Angels in Action have
provided clothes for prisoners. They also send cards to prisoners, servicemen
who are deployed, and acquaintances that are sick and or in the hospital. The
sick are visited and are taken a gift. They have recently taken on a new
project of delivering food to home bound senior citizens (currently 210 bags a
week).

Fishnet Missions of Jacksonville, Inc. gave out food to more than 750 families
during the first month. In the course of the first two months, Fishnet Missions
was opened for food distribution on Thursday afternoons. It was later decided
that more people could be helped on Saturday. A lot of the people who need
help do work, but their income simply does not stretch enough. Sometimes a
family has to make a decision between buying food and buying medicine for an
ill child. In November, the number of families being helped was 1,700, in
December 2,756. Currently, we are helping in excess of 7,000 families per
month. In addition, approximately 800 meals per month are served under the
Arkansas River Bridge to the homeless. We also started in the summer of
2004 feeding children lunch twice a week while school is out for the summer.
We average 125 kids per month not including the parents that came with their
children.

When Dewey and Barbara Sims and the other volunteers originally saw the
Marshall Road building, the thought was that this was such a big place; would
it ever be full of food? Fishnet Missions has outgrown this expansive building
and prayer has gone up for a larger building so that more people can be
helped. The most urgent need is for a larger building. We are in the process
of trying to build a new building. We are waiting on city codes to be met and
donations to help with getting started.

Another very big need is for more volunteers. People are needed for as small
a time as delivering a meal box to a home bound senior to coming in for four
hours twice a week to bag the groceries that are distributed to the needy and
the senior program on Tuesday.

Fishnet Missions needs money, yes, and it needs volunteers, yes, but above
all else, the program needs your prayers that it will continue to help the needy
in a Christian fashion. Obeying the Word of God to always remember the
poor and to entertain Angels Unaware.

We opened a Thrift Store, which will help support, the financial needs of the
Fishnet. We will also have a process in place for which anyone who is in need
and cannot afford to shop will have the opportunity to receive clothing for his or
her family for free. (We did this for the hurricane victims)

Please come be a part of our family, if not in person, maybe in prayer or by
giving financially.

We are members of Arkansas Food Bank Network, Arkansas Hunger
Coalition and Jacksonville Hometown Health Improvement Coalition.

We also partner with Feed the Children, Potluck Inc., Food Rescue for
Arkansas, Rice Depot, Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and Arkansas
Hunters Feeding the Hungry Arkansas Wildlife Federation.

Children

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Donations can be made in person, by mail or by credit card. Please remember we are
non-profit and all donations are tax deductible. Remember we can't help others without you.
Thank you