As the Island’s new community health nurse, West Tisbury native Lila Fischer said she is seeing the Vineyard in a whole new light.

Every year Armen Hanjian gives a talk to the second graders at the Oak Bluffs School about the Island Food Pantry. One year, a little boy came up and asked him to autograph his hand.

It was another busy year at the Island Food Pantry, a community-wide organization that feeds those in need.

The year proved similar to last year; there were 2,405 visits, which fed 505 family units, including at least 250 children.

Last November, a temporary stimulus to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) expired, leaving 480,000 Massachusetts residents with fewer funds to stretch throughout the month.

The West Tisbury police department, the West Tisbury fire department and Tri-Town ambulance invite everyone to support the Island Food Pantry by dropping off nonperishable packaged food items to the Public Safety Building across from Conroy’s.

As they entered the Serving Hands Food Distribution late last week, Islanders were confronted with a notice: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly known as food stamps, were being cut.