As temperatures dropped into the teens this week organizations around the Vineyard have stepped up to meet the needs of at-risk Islanders.
Harbor Homes, an Island homelessness prevention nonprofit which runs an overnight winter shelter, increased their outreach this week by opening rotating warming centers during the day.
Monday through Thursday, three churches and the Red House Recovery Center opened their doors to give people a warm place to stay.
Lisa Belcastro, the director for Harbor Homes Winter Shelter, said that when she saw the forecast she reached out to locations across the Island and asked them for help.
“That’s just not a healthy situation, so I sent out a few emails,” Ms. Belcastro said on Monday. “For these more frigid days, we now have warm places for people to spend the day.”
Ms. Belcastro said that eight people used the daytime warming shelter at St. Andrew’s Parish on Monday, 12 guests used the space at Grace Church in Vineyard Haven on Tuesday, and 12 people went to the shelter at the Red House Peer Recovery Support Center on Wednesday.
“People have definitely been appreciative of having a warm and safe place to go, with juice and water and coffee and hot chocolate, lunch and snacks. I’m grateful to everyone,” Ms. Belcastro said via email on Wednesday.
The overnight shelter continues to be in demand too.
“We’ve had 24 unique guests as of Dec. 31,” Ms. Belcastro wrote in an email Thursday. “Some stay every night. Most come and go and we never know how many we’ll have each night.”
Ms. Belcastro added that the daytime warming shelters will continue on an as-needed basis. At present, there are no plans for warming shelters next week.
Island churches have also begun their seasonal community suppers to help those facing food insecurity. The suppers are run by volunteers, offering free dinners and a place to interact with others during the cold and isolated months. For most days of the week, a different location has a meal available to anyone who is hungry. Food is also sent by each community supper to the Harbor Homes overnight shelter to feed guests throughout the week.
Wednesday meals are hosted by the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury. On Tuesday of this week, church volunteers carried boxes of vegetables from Marjorie Peirce’s car into the church’s kitchen. Ms. Peirce, who directs the community meals programs there, had begun cooking on Saturday.
“Your first job is Brussels sprouts,” Ms. Peirce told Heidi Bryan, Vicky Bartels and Suzanne Fenn, all of whom
Marjorie Peirce checks the ham.
— Ray Ewing
have been volunteering to help with community suppers for years.
Bucky Burrows joined the group to carve the hams.
“That’s one of the things you do, service where you can,” said Mr. Burrows. “It’s something I know how to do.”
Mr. Burrows has also been a part of community suppers for years and estimates that last year First Congregational served around 3,500 meals. The ingredients come from donations and on-sale items.
This week, Ms. Peirce said much of the vegetables were donated by Black Sheep market and the hams from Cronig’s. As the group was reaching the bottom of the crate of Brussels sprouts, Joyce Collins stopped by with a box of clementines and half a milk crate of apples from Cronig’s. Ms. Peirce described Ms. Collins as a “food rescuer,” someone who finds food that will soon be thrown away and re-routes it to the church for use in community food programs.
“It can’t get better than that, getting donations like that and having volunteers like these,” Ms. Peirce said.
Other items come from trade. Food waste goes into the church’s food mill dehydrator, which Ms. Peirce named Millie, and comes out as a substance resembling coffee grounds. Ms. Peirce then gives that to a congregant to feed their hens. In exchange, Ms. Peirce gets eggs to use in the weekly suppers.
The church used to host the meals in a sit-down style, but stopped hosting meals inside during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, the church has continued with pick-up and delivery because they are able to serve more people. Last season, up to 170 people received meals each week, according to Ms. Peirce.
“We are able to put out double or triple the meals than if we were sitting in our humble parish hall,” Ms. Peirce said.
Churches are also helping to provide food for Harbor Homes. The Federated Church of Martha’s Vineyard in Edgartown has created a special program for this called Joyful Eatings.
The program began three years ago, and each Sunday invites a professional chef to the church kitchen to lead volunteers in a cooking lesson. That food is then delivered to Harbor Homes later in the evening.
“When the numbers at the shelter began to rise . . . it seemed like that’s a lot to ask somebody to do, to cook for 20 people, so that’s where the idea came from,” said Jeanne Staples, the Joyful Eatings coordinator.
Other churches have continued to host sit-down community suppers, including St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. On Monday, approximately 10 people gathered in the church’s parish hall for baked spiral ham, mac and cheese, and salad. A box of bread loaves sat on a spare table for guests to take home — a donation from Stop & Shop.
The meal was prepared and served by Chris White, Palmer Marrin, Nancy Vietor and Nancy Youngbuck.
“This is part of our mission to take care of our community, to make sure people aren’t hungry,” said Ms. White. “That’s what we’re about, taking care of our community.”
José Sanabria said he comes to the suppers to be a part of the community, which he finds particularly important in the winter months. He also uses the meals as a chance to find opportunities to help others.
“You’ll find out they need to go to the doctor and need someone to drive them home,” he said.
Kate Villard has come to the Monday community supper with her husband Zephyr Villard for three years.
“My mom cooked these for 18 years. She started when I went to college,” Ms. Villard said. “It’s free food, it’s community.”
As the meal wound down, the kitchen volunteers began to pack up food to be sent to homebound people. Like at the First Congregational Church in West Tisbury, the group is making use of all the food they have.
Ms. Marrin said that the ham bones will be used for soup and leftovers will be frozen for when congregants get sick and need a meal.
“This is a good way for people to make friends and not have to cook,” said Rev. Chip Seadale of St. Andrew’s. “Islanders understand these are lean times . . . . There are people who really need this, a homemade meal they didn’t have to pay for.”
Community Supper Schedule
Monday
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall, in-person, begins 5:30 p.m., 34 North Summer Street, Edgartown, 508-627-5330.
Wednesday
First Congregational Church of West Tisbury, pickup from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., delivery available, 1051 State Road, West Tisbury. Contact wtcomsuppers@gmail.com.
Thursday
Good Shepherd Parish, dine in or take out 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., for take out leave name and telephone number at 508-684-6270 by 6 p.m. the Monday before, 56 Franklin Street, Vineyard Haven.
Friday
Grace Episcopal Church, take out 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., dine in 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., reserve meals at 508-693-0332, 24 Woodlawn avenue, Vineyard Haven.
Saturday
United Methodist Church, dine in with options for takeout, 5:30 p.m., 508-693-4424, 40 Trinity Park, Oak Bluffs.
