HISTORY: SEAFISH

The fish symbol was used by the early Christians to identify themselves to each other during the years of persecution. It is now the symbol of a group of concerned Christians dedicated to helping others in need.

The idea of such a movement originated in an Anglican parish in Old Heddington, England in 1961 and has since spread through England, the European Continent, South Africa Japan Canada, and the United States. It is a movement with no national or international organization.

It was upon reading about this movement that the Board of Directors of Southeast Ecumenical Ministry considered this program as a way to serve the southeast area community.

As time went by, it became evident there was a need to supply food on an emergency basis to people in the area. The SEM Food Cupboard was established in 1975 to meet the needs of the hungry, serving zip code areas: 14607, 14610, 14618, and 14620. Along with the emergency food service came the Supplemental Bag Program. The program was established to help seniors who live on such a limited income that they were unable to purchase an adequate diet for themselves. The Program today still services seniors along with those clients who are on a limited income and exhaust those limited funds on expenses such as medical costs.

It is only through the dedication of our volunteers that our organization has been able to help so many people. Our greatest hope is that SEM/SEAFISH will continue for many more years.