Autumn is settling over the Island like so many fallen leaves and for the many people who work long hours in summer, this is a time to pause and savor the quiet season. But for many Islanders it is also a time to worry about the coming winter months with the prospect of heating bills to pay and warm clothes to buy for children. Some people will not have enough money to put food on the table, and beginning this week the Island Food Pantry will be there to fill the gap, as it has been for many years.

The food pantry opens on Wednesday in its modest spot at the United Methodist Church in Vineyard Haven and will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from two to four in the afternoon until spring. People who come more than once will need to provide a reference from a clergy member, employer or other person, to verify their need. All information is kept confidential. The food pantry is run by a dedicated group of some seventy volunteers who work tirelessly to keep this vital program running.

The pantry is well stocked with a wide variety of fresh and nonperishable food thanks to generous donations from around the Island that include farms, grocery stores, schools, businesses, community groups and individual residents. Donations of money are also gratefully accepted and used to buy food for needy families. Emergency assistance is available year round.

Last year the food pantry had more than two thousand visits and served more than five hundred families and two hundred and fifty children.

That adds up to a substantial number of people in need in a community the size of ours and runs counter to the Island’s image as a haven for the wealthy. Organizers say the number of elderly seeking assistance has been on the rise in recent years, along with the number of people who visit the pantry six times or more.

The Vineyard owes a large debt of thanks to the Island Food Pantry, including its longtime leader, the Rev. Armen Hanjian. Because on this Island of plenty, no one should ever go hungry.