Serving Hands & Family to Family

Island Grown Initiative is honored to carry forward the legacy of Serving Hands and Family to Family, two vital food distribution programs that have supported Island families for decades. In 2024, IGI welcomed these programs under its umbrella after years of dedicated leadership by the Vineyard Committee on Hunger.

Serving Hands: Monthly Grocery Distribution

Serving Hands operates out of the First Baptist Church, providing nutritious groceries to approximately 130 clients each month. The program receives about 5,000 pounds of food from the Greater Boston Food Bank, ensuring that individuals and families have consistent access to essential pantry staples and fresh ingredients.

Family to Family: Holiday Meal Kits

Family to Family brings the Island community together during the holiday season by providing all the ingredients for a complete holiday meal. Meal kits are distributed three times a year—in late November, late December, and April—and include turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and fresh produce. Ingredients are sourced from local farms and grocers to ensure Island families can enjoy a nourishing holiday meal.

History

Family to Family and Serving Hands were started by husband and wife team Betty Burton and John Sundman, who wanted to be sure that Island families had a way to access food support all year round. In the early days, it was just Betty, John, and their three children filling the food bags. Today, dozens of volunteers come together around each holiday season to package and prepare meal kits for Family to Family and a dedicated core of volunteers sustains Serving Hands.