Our Island Club Launches Television Series

What do you do after 7 years of building a consumer savings program with 4500+ local resident members who save at more than 200 businesses and have raised over $225,000.00 for local organizations?

You create Our Island Club TV.

“It’s in our blood. It seemed like a natural extension in our effort to help build community,” stated Geoff Rose.

Our Island Club TV will be a monthly half hour magazine style program co-produced by Geoff Rose and Jonathan Bernstein and directed by Jonathan, the Club’s co-founder and award-winning film maker. It will air on MVTV, the local public access channel, beginning this October and will also be available on-demand through www.ourislandclub.com.

Designed to reflect the community we live in, some of the completed segment subjects include: Women Empowered, the new Y Teen Center, The US Slave Song Project, Growing Older,,,,.. Better, Safe Rides, The FARM Institute and a conversation with Johnny Hoy and Jeremy Berlin.

“The glue that holds the year-round community together is a combination of positive energy and charitable nature. Each segment provides an insight into people and situations that you don’t experience in everyday Vineyard life. There’s an up close and personal feeling that is conveyed through video. It’s such a powerful medium,” said Jonathan. 

Borrowing from a well-known magazine program, Our Island Club TV will include an “Andy Rooney” type segment. We also plan to showcase locally produced video and solicit The Vineyard’s Funniest Videos.

“We hope that local residents will join the Club and businesses and organizations will see the value of sponsoring the program. However, it’s a labor of love, given the enormity of producing nine programs,” Geoff stated.

How did all begin?

Jonathan Bernstein, a Hollywood filmmaker, became a full-time resident in 2000 when he and his family moved from Los Angeles. Geoff Rose, a broadcast executive, became a full-time resident in 2001 when he moved from Connecticut. Both had been summer residents. Having a family of five, Bernstein looked forward to the fall when prices would return to “normal.” He kept waiting and waiting and waiting. It finally dawned on him that prices were not going to return to “normal.” So he pondered the idea of a savings program that would help year-round islanders who were challenged by the high prices. After all, he reasoned, these people were the backbone of the community.

Three years later he met Geoff who had turned entrepreneur by starting a program service for Vineyard businesses.”Keep it local,” was always Geoff’s thinking. So he warmed to Jonathan’s idea. In short order Our Island Club was designed to provide savings on essential products (food, home heating and gasoline) as well as at restaurants, retail stores and services. Also, it was going to benefit local charities and it needed to insure that qualified low-income individuals and families could join for free.

The cornerstones of the program, Cronig’s, Island Propane and Jim’s Gasoline, each category- exclusive businesses, recognized the value the program could provide to year-round residents. Over time more and more businesses joined.

Geoff explained, “Twenty percent of the annual membership fee is donated to the charity of the member’s choice. There’s no list. So every year we send out about 175 checks. Some have been for $3000.00 and others for $18.00. If it’s your passion, they’re included.”

And more than 100 free cards are given annually through Island Angels, a matching donation program supported by MVI Insurance. Qualified clients of Vineyard Healthcare Access, Red Stocking Fund, Food Pantry and residents of Island Elderly Housing and Vineyard Housing Authority are eligible.

In the last four years, the Club has donated monies for scholarships. Geoff clarified, “Many of our members leave the charity choice to us. This year we donated more than $15,000.00 to the Permanent Endowment Fund of MV, VNA, MVRHS Vocational programs and MVTV. These scholarships are earmarked for outside training programs and higher education.”

Membership continues to grow. “It’s a program whose time has come. Helping people save in this challenging economy is a very good thing," said Jonathan.

Want to join the Club? Qualified year-round residents can join online at www.ourislandclub.com. In-person membership can be completed at Educomp and Mosher Photo in Vineyard Haven, Conroy Apothecary in Oak Bluffs and at the Mailroom in Edgartown at the Triangle. There is a residency requirement.