Upcoming Event
Five Fish Foundation, alongside Lowcountry Autism Foundation, IEP Answers, and Milestones Early Intervention Services, are proud to host the first Dads Helping Dads support group for those parenting special needs children. Presented by Rossiter & Cummaro Enterprise, a leading telehealth corporation, the group will meet on the last Thursday of each month, either in person or via video call. This is a space to confidentially discuss the unique challenges and joys that come with parenting a special needs child, among peers and with a qualified expert.
2020 Annual Report
Letter from the Founder
February 2021
Hello Five Fish Family! 2020 was a year to remember for so many reasons, and like many of you, we are grateful for the arrival of 2021. However, Five Fish Foundation, along with the essential support of our donors, volunteers, and Board members, accomplished some incredible things in 2020, exceeding many of our goals despite the global pandemic. Here are a few of the highlights:
- Approved 44 scholarships; a 132% increase from 2019
- Awarded over $35,000; a 254% increase from 2019
- Raised over $53,000 in donations; 205% increase from 2019
- Maintained $0 Foundation administrative costs (100% donor-funded)
- Opened office space in Mt. Pleasant with logo visible on I526 (100% donor-funded)
- Created Shredder Bees, a no-cost, HIPAA-compliant shredding company, providing internships for adults with special needs where they can learn basic job skills and practice socializing in professional settings. The shredding service is free, but tax-deductible donations to Five Fish Foundation are welcomed.
As you can imagine, 2020 could not have possible without a tremendous amount of help. And as we move forward, we will need even more. We have set some grand goals this year and are already hard at work to achieve them. Our goals for 2021:
- Award 100 scholarships
Double fund raising to $100,000 - Identify five corporate partners
- Add Board members and volunteers with marketing, financial, programing, and fundraising backgrounds
- Increase Shredder Bees awareness and offer additional internship opportunities to special needs adults
- Create our first Area Resource Center (ARC) and start programming for parent support groups and special needs social events
I am overjoyed, and somewhat astonished, at everything we have accomplished through Five Fish Foundation since our inception in Spring 2019. As we continue to grow, we will focus on fostering community and corporate support and involvement in our local special needs population. Additionally, we will continue work with families to help them obtain therapeutic services, products, and programs that insurance does not cover to promote Support, Care, Acceptance, Life Quality, and Education for special needs individuals in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties, South Carolina.
Sincerely,
Lisa L. Leask
Founder, Five Fish Foundation
2019 SUMMER CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY FAMILIES
Five Fish Foundation (FFF) is honored to announce our FIVE 2019 Summer Scholarships! FFF is a non-profit organization committed to providing financial assistance to individuals (and their families) with an intellectual disability to promote their Support, Care, Acceptance, Life quality, and Education (SCALE) in our community. At our Charleston River Dogs fundraising event on June 14, 2019, we will award FIVE summer camp scholarships to active duty military families (in the tri-county area) with an Exceptional Family Member dependent.
The Five Fish Fish Foundation 2019 Summer Camp Scholarships
Surfers Healing Military Camp (Wrightsville Beach, NC)
Rein & Shine Summer Horsemanship (Awendaw, SC)
Pattison’s Academy Therapeutic Summer Camp (Charleston, SC)
Camp Ability at Healing Farms (Charleston, SC)
Teen Buddies Camp (Mount Pleasant, SC)