On Friday, Nov. 22, dozens of volunteers gathered to sort, pack, and distribute more than 500 bags of food to individuals and families in need across the Island, ensuring the Thanksgiving meal needs of locals are met.
Volunteers gathered from around the Island at the First Baptist Church in Vineyard Haven to help, including Karen Gerlach, who was loading bags with groceries. “I decided to get out of my own way and do something to help the community,” Gerlach said. “It fills my heart to be with like-minded people, and do something for the greater good.”
Bags were packed with pumpkin purée, stuffing, fresh fruits and vegetables from the Regenerative Farming Program at Island Grown Initiative, cranberry sauce, frozen food, and finally, the choice of a turkey or chicken.
Once the bags were packed, other Islanders helped deliver the goods to families. Islander Kenny Ivory was one of them. He loaded up his truck at the side of the church on Friday. “What these people do is amazing,” Ivory said. “I only deliver to a few houses, but I get more out of it than they do — they are always so thankful.”
The Family to Family grocery distribution effort was spearheaded by Island Grown Initiative (IGI), after they took over the Vineyard Committee on Hunger when it was dissolved earlier this year. IGI also absorbed their other main program, Serving Hands. IGI also runs the Island Food Pantry, which opened a new location in Oak Bluffs this fall.
And there is a big need, which officials have said is growing.
“We’ve seen such an increase in demand in the Food Pantry … and a skyrocketing need for food support,” said Noli Taylor, co-executive director of IGI. “The increase in the cost of food is putting a strain on Island families.”
According to a report from the M.V. Commission, Food Pantry visits have more than tripled since 2019. The numbers doubled during the pandemic years, and have been consistently on the rise since, with a new monthly record of 2,753 individual visits documented in January 2024.
“There are more than 1 in 5 [Islanders] who need food support at some point in the year,” Taylor said.
“Every individual who comes to the pantry has a different story — from families with young children to individual working people, to seniors who are living on fixed incomes,” she added. “It’s so many of our community members.”
There is a particular need around the holidays. The Family to Family food distribution program is one of four holiday events annually run by IGI. During Thanksgiving, more than double the amount of food is given away to Islanders, compared with the regularly scheduled monthly distribution program, called Serving Hands.
Even though the program has been taken over by IGI, those who ran the Vineyard Committee on Hunger are still helping. Alicia Nicholson, who was the president of the committee, is still on the frontlines of food distribution events, volunteering her time, energy, and resources to serve the Island community.
“Nothing is changing, but [there’s] more support,” Nicholson said of the switch to IGI.
Nicholson also runs Daybreak, a local mental health support group for adults. Daybreak members were volunteering their time on Friday at the Baptist church, helping to pack and organize. According to Ilona Metell, who was vice president of the Committee on Hunger, “the Daybreak crew has been the heart of the program for so long.”
Members of the Red House — a peer recovery support center and sober community — also volunteered their time to help with the efforts on Friday, mainly with cleanup.
The success of the distribution relies on helping hands across the Island. “We collaborate because we’re more successful that way,” Metell said. “We still have our core group, we still have our volunteers, but we have a whole lot more support.”
Taylor, with IGI, also reflected on the amount of help that follows Island efforts like this one. “We’re so lucky to have a community that’s willing to care for its neighbors,” she said. “This year, we served 5,700 individuals … These are working people in the community who are making the community work … We hope that in the season of giving, the community continues to financially support [IGI, food distribution services, and the Food Pantry].”
According to Nicholson, the donations that are the most helpful to their organization are grocery bags. Anyone willing to give may drop them off at the Food Pantry or Daybreak. For future volunteer work, either for the monthly distribution with Serving Hands or the upcoming Christmas meal, contact Alicia Nicholson to get involved, at anicholson@mvcommunityservices.org.
