We are pseudo-live with our hardware/software!

This past weekend and today, I spent most of my time installing the network and computers at FISH, Inc., a food and clothing bank. While it was a lot of hard work, I enjoyed every moment—except for crawling on my hands and knees running wires or assembling a new office chair. My knees were definitely feeling it the next morning!

That said, it was a blast! Given the age of the building and my lack of trust in the existing Cat 5e network wiring, I decided to run all new cables. This meant lifting ceiling tiles in multiple spots to run wires overhead and down to the computers. Not an easy feat! The office space is tight, so I had to move things around, climb onto desk counters, and crawl under cabinets. I even had to drill holes in bookshelves to run wires since some walls had no outlets. It was time-consuming and took up my entire weekend, but it was worth it.

I installed the server and two computers—one for the office and another at the left pantry window where we greet clients at the front door. As a personal touch, I set the wallpaper on all the computers to my Janesville painting, with the FISH logo superimposed on it. Hopefully, the volunteers enjoy looking at it as much as I enjoyed the real-life view every day while walking up to the cabin's front porch.

Once the entire network is up and running, I'll be sure to share some pictures.

We’re also planning to move to a new facility next year, and I’ve joined the board of supervisors to help design the build-out specs. I’ve built at least six different facilities in my career, and at 7,500 square feet, this one will be a breeze—especially compared to the 600,000-square-foot projects I’ve worked on before!

The people at FISH are incredibly kind, helpful, and generous. I truly love being part of this mission and feel honored to contribute!