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For Immediate Release

April 24, 2020

UNION CHAPEL AND ISLAND FOOD PANTRY LAUNCH
JOHN SCHULE/MILLIE HENDERSON CHALLENGE FOOD GIFT

            The Island Food Pantry of Martha’s Vineyard has received a $ 5000 donation from Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs, MA and is launching a Challenge Food Gift in recognition of their two former trustees, Rev. Dr. John David Schule and Mildred (Millie) Dowdell Henderson, who passed in mid-March 2020.   The gift is intended to encourage other Vineyard organizations and families to honor the lives of these individuals who made significant contributions to the quality of life on our Island and who often spoke of the importance of addressing adversity in the lives of others. 

Dr. John David Schule served as long-time pastor of the Federated Church in Edgartown and was one of the founders and former president of Martha’s Vineyard Hospice.  He suffered from an 11-year illness from a rare form of cancer that contributed to his death.  Millie Henderson was a librarian and teacher who was featured in a 2015 oral history Vineyard Voices vignette produced by the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.  She was deeply involved in the philanthropic efforts of The Cottagers, Inc. and was recognized as one of the leaders of the African-American society in Oak Bluffs.   

In launching the Challenge Food Gift, Richard Taylor, president of Union Chapel, stated: “ John and Millie would strongly encourage generosity, kindness and even sacrifice during this time of expanded food insecurity on the Island. It is our hope that our $5,000 contribution will grow to $10,000 to assist Margaret and her team in helping those in need. We encourage all to contribute whatever they can to help us reach our goal. "

Persons wishing to honor the memory of these individuals may make contributions to the Island Food Pantry via the Pantry’s donation website:  http://islandfoodpantry.org.  Donations should be marked as part of the “Union Chapel” Schule/Henderson Challenge Food Gift in the memo line of the check or on-line transaction.

Margaret Hannemann, president of the Island Food Panty Board, acknowledged that the Pantry’s commitment to serving vulnerable families on Martha’s Vineyard is an important part of the philanthropic traditions established by John Schule and Millie Henderson.  “We deeply appreciate this gift as a symbol of the extensive collaboration among the Vineyard’s multiple religious, society, business, and service organizations.  Each of us has an important part to play in creating a safety net for our neighbors who face uncertainty and hardship during these difficult days.”

Since the onset of the COVID-19 virus, the Island Food Pantry has faced a rapid and accelerating growth in families requesting food assistance.  In the past month, the Pantry helped stock the shelves of more than 700 Island families, an increase of nearly 250 newly registered families.  In response to this change, the amount of food purchased by the Pantry has grown from 28,000 pounds to 56,000 pounds per month.  The Pantry receives no governmental assistance and is dependent solely upon private gifts and grants.  Working in collaboration with dozens of other island organizations, churches, businesses, and individuals, the Island Food Pantry strives to address hunger on the island of Martha’s Vineyard and to provide a dependable source of nutritious food all year long. 

            Further information may be obtained by contacting Kayte Morris, Executive Director of the Island Food Pantry at kayte@islandfoodpantry.org.

Oak Bluffs Town Column:
March 27

Written by Richard Lewis Taylor

Within the same news cycle two extraordinary human beings that shared a love of humanity and Union Chapel transitioned from the paradise of the Vineyard to the paradise in the sky.

Rev. John Schule and Mildred Henderson served side by side as trustees of Union Chapel for decades. One way to look at it is that John covered the front of the chapel with his thoughtful and penetrating sermons and Millie commandeered the sanctuary from the center chair to the rear of the sanctuary.

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