Organizers with the Island’s main food pantry are concerned that they may not be able to meet demand without significant community support when a federal funding program to help low-income residents is expected to freeze on Saturday.

More than a thousand Vineyarders rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for food — commonly known as SNAP — about 5 percent of the Island population. The federal benefit provides EBT cards, which function like a debit card, to households who need to supplement food costs; the cards average a few hundred dollars a month, and can be used at markets and grocery stores. 

Full Story