DEAL ISLAND, MD—The Fisher of Men Foundation is receiving overwhelming community support following the January 20 fire that destroyed four buildings.
Fisher of Men used the buildings to host retreats for people in recovery from addiction. The retreat buildings were constructed entirely from donated materials.
Foundation treasurer Chris Snader and his fellow Fisher of Men members only completed the structures lost in the fire last year.
"When we built the building, we did it all basically on blood, sweat and tears and we had just finished it," Snader said.
Despite the devastation of the loss, Snader said the outpouring of support from the community gives him hope for the foundation's future.
"Everybody's kind of on the same page that we got to take it in stride, and Glory to God, we're going to rebuild this thing," Snader said. "We have a donor that's offering to donate $25,000 as long as we match that $25,000."
In little more than a week, the Fisher of Men are about halfway to meeting that goal.
The donor who committed to matching the funds wants to remain anonymous.
In a statement made to WBOC, the anonymous benefactor said that the "real and tangible 180-degree changes of directions for people’s lives" accomplished by the work of the Fisher of Men motivated them to support.
Pastor David Webster of the Deal Island Community Church said he was introduced to the Fisher of Men Foundation when people on the retreat attended socially distanced Church by the Bay services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This person loves what Frank is doing and what the organization is doing," Webster said of the anonymous donor, a member of his congregation. "Not because it brings glory to them, but it brings hope."
In addition to financial support, Snader said donations of time will be instrumental in rebuilding the retreat.
"There's more to it than just the building that we built," Snader said. "It's also the other structures that were already in place."
Community members interested in volunteering have contacted the foundation to help when the rebuild begins.
Pastor Webster said he is unsure how much of the process will be accomplished by the first scheduled retreat in March 2025 but that the Church will make sure they have a home to continue without delay.
"We'll find cots, we'll put them up," Webster said. "It's going to be an exciting time, an exciting service, and we don't want to miss it for nothing."
The State Fire Marshall concluded its investigation into the cause of the fire.
Fisher of Men co-founder Frank Parks said the cause was deemed undetermined, with no evidence of origin or suspicious activity. Parks expects the full report to be released next week.