Beverly Bootstraps was first established in 1992 as a Food Pantry in the basement of the First Baptist Church. With the generous support of our donors, volunteers and the community at large, we have grown to be a leading social service agency on the North Shore. We are unique in our approach to the issues of hunger. While recognizing that people need food in hand to stem immediate hunger, our clients also need the opportunity to be embraced by the community, educated about the resources available and empowered to improve their own lives. As we continue to grow, our commitment to the community remains the same: to provide critical resources to families and individuals so that they may achieve self-sufficiency. We accomplish this while maintaining our commitment to fiscal responsibility and serving as trusted stewards of the organization.
HISTORY
1992
In response to the needs of our community, the parishioners at First Baptist Church started a small food pantry.
1995
A community outreach program was started to address the root causes of hunger and assist clients in achieving self-sufficiency.
2000
Our Adopt-A-Family holiday program (now called Winter Wishes Holiday Gifts) was started to help provide gifts to low-income children. Since then, this program has grown tremendously and provides gifts to over 700 children annually.
2001
We began to provide low-income children with the school supplies needed to start the school year. The Back-To-School Backpack program is now an annual event in which donors help local children in need.
2003
The Thrift Shop was opened to offer affordable clothing and goods to clients and residents.
2006
Offices and Services moved to 371 Cabot Street, where all programs could be managed from one location and the Thrift Shop moved to 198 Rantoul Street.
2007
The Board of Directors officially voted to offer services to both Beverly and Manchester residents.
2009
As need grew during and after The Great Recession, the number of clients served through our programs tripled.
2011
The Board of Directors voted in a strategic plan identifying the need for a new facility.
2016
Offices and Services were relocated to 35 Park Street after the new building was purchased and renovated and the Thrift Shop fully expanded.
2017
Beverly Bootstraps celebrates 25 years of providing critical resources to families and individuals so they may achieve self-sufficiency.
2018
Beverly Bootstraps began a collaboration with Acord Food Pantry to provide on-site Case Management to the residents of Essex, Hamilton, Wenham, Ipswich and Topsfield.
2021
The Board officially voted to expand service area to include Hamilton, Wenham and Essex in addition to Beverly and Manchester.
LEADERSHIP
Sue Gabriel, Executive Director
Sue’s path to the helm of Beverly Bootstraps includes over 30 years in the non-profit sector. Since 2008, Sue has led Beverly Bootstraps from a grass-roots organization to a mid-sized non-profit. Sue’s career includes various leadership roles, including Director of Development for Beverly School for the Deaf, sole proprietor of Marketing Success and Director of Tourism for Thoroughbred Country in South Carolina. Sue is involved with many local organizations. She is the President of the Beverly Rotary Club, a Trustee of Beverly’s Affordable Housing Trust, a Trustee to Fisher and Fuel Fund and a Corporator of Marblehead Bank. She has been an Advisor to the Greater Boston Food Bank and a member of the Northshore Hunger Network. Sue resides in Beverly, MA with her family.
Chris Nazareth, Director of Development and External Affairs
With over a decade of experience in the nonprofit field, Chris serves as Beverly Bootstraps’ Director of Development and External Affairs. A seasoned fundraiser, Chris has most recently spent time as the Associate Director of Development at Hearth, Inc., a homeless relief organization in Boston and as the Boston Director of City Service Mission, a national faith-based service and advocacy organization. As the Director of Development and External Affairs, Chris oversees everything from fundraising to marketing to volunteers. Chris and his family reside in Beverly.
Richard (Richie) Jache, Director of Client Services
Richie has recently joined our team at Beverly Bootstraps. He brings over 20 years of experience in Human Services, having worked in several capacities within YMCAs and agencies that serve people with varied abilities. Richie is known for his expertise in building relationships and providing for the needs of those he serves. As the Director of Client Services, he is responsible for supporting the Beverly Bootstraps Food Pantry, Educational Programs, and Case Management. Richie and his family reside in Swampscott. His hobbies include shopping, traveling with friends, and spending time with his family and grandson.
Michael Gant, Director of Thrift Operations
Michael recently joined our team at Beverly Bootstraps. Michael brings almost eight years of operations management experience and has spent several years in retail management. He sat on the board of a nonprofit and has experience managing the operational aspects of nonprofit organizations. Michael’s specialties lie in efficiency, team productivity, and building a positive and instructive work environment, even in intense settings. As the Director of Thrift Operations, Michael oversees the Beverly Bootstraps Thrift Shop, Donation Center, and associated efforts. He resides in Beverly, MA, with his family and enjoys spending time outdoors and traveling.
Director of Finance
Rob Tilton, Director of Support Services
As Director of Support Services, Rob oversees the operation and maintenance of our 23,000 sq ft building and all equipment. He is also responsible for all the IT needs of the staff. A true fixer of all problems big and small, Rob does everything from maintaining our fleet of vehicles, to ensuring the staff has working computers and can safely and securely navigate the many computing programs and databases needed to run the organization. Starting out as a volunteer in 2013, Rob has steadily grown from a food pantry driver to his current Director position. Rob resides in Danvers having been a Beverly resident for nearly 30 years, and enjoys spending time with his three children and his dog Fin or watching any New England sports team.
Bethany Riley, Director of Human Resources
Bethany Riley, goes by “Riley,” joined Bootstraps in June 2021 as the Director of Human Resources. She comes from a nonprofit management background with the majority of her time being spent in the Boys & Girls Club Movement. Some of what Riley oversees includes matters related to employee relations, organizational culture, and payroll/benefits. Riley is excited to work with the employees at Bootstraps to best support them so they can in turn support our community and clients.
2024 Board of Directors
Thank you to our dedicated Board of Directors for their time and support.
- Meredith Sobol, President
- Marilyn Schlein Kramer, Vice President
- Allan Huntley, Treasurer
- Allison Dollery, Assistant Treasurer
- Jeff Roberts, Clerk
- Charlotte Bednar
- Christopher Birotte
- Ed Cahill
- Laurence Chase
- Melissa Dane
- Amanda Dobbins
- Carolyn Lackey
- Mark Munoz
- Jessica Waggett
Friends of Beverly Bootstraps
This group of former board members and members of board appointed committees have accepted our invitation to join this group of dedicated individuals and be recognized for their involvement in guiding us to be the organization we are today.
Advisors
Advisors are community members with specific expertise asked by the Board of Directors to advise Board Committees. Advisors attend committee meetings and the Annual Board Meeting in November. Advisors serve one-year, renewable terms that begin in January. Thank you to our 2024 Advisors.
- Alexander Abraham
- Martha Bednarz
- Sarah Bondarev
- Angela Fanno
- Christina Frost
- Morgan Harris
- Nicole Ireland
- Elizabeth Rossetti
- Peter Yearley
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
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Acord Food Pantry
Beverly Bootstraps is collaborating with the Acord Food Pantry to provide on-site Case Management services to individuals and families visiting the Acord Pantry.
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Apple Village
Beverly Bootstraps has partnered with Apple Village to offer family and elderly housing residents a seasonal Mobile Market that provides free fresh produce and vegetables on a weekly basis.
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Beverly Council on Aging/Senior Center
In an effort to increase access to produce and staple food items to the elderly living on fixed incomes, Beverly Bootstraps has partnered with the Beverly Council on Aging to bring a seasonal Mobile Market to the Senior Center every other week.
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Beverly Hospital, a Member of Lahey Health
Beverly Hospital works to improve the health of their emergency room patients by providing a bag of staple foods if needed, as well as referring them to Beverly Bootstraps for further assistance.
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Beverly Housing Authority
Beverly Bootstraps has partnered with Beverly Housing Authority to offer family and elderly housing residents a seasonal Mobile Market that provides free, fresh produce and vegetables on a weekly basis.
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Beverly Public Schools
Beverly Bootstraps works closely with the Beverly Public Schools to coordinate many of our Youth and Family Services, including our Back-To-School Backpack program and Kids Eat Healthy Initiative. Additionally, we work with the schools to identify children with barriers to academic success and in need of tutoring in our After-School Homework Clubs.
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Beverly Resource Group
Beverly Resource Group is a collaboration of community partners who come together to discuss resources available, promote financial stability and improve the quality of life of low-income Beverly residents. Our Case Management staff plays an active role in the Beverly Resource Group steering committee.
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City of Beverly
Our staff works with city departments to coordinate services and support the community as effectively as possible.
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Fairweather Apartments
Beverly Bootstraps has partnered with Fairweather Apartments to offer elderly residents a seasonal Mobile Market that provides free, fresh produce and vegetables every other week.
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Local Houses of Worship
Beverly Bootstraps collaborates with local houses of worship to provide free, daily community meals to those in need in Beverly.
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North Shore Adult Education Partnership (NSAEP)
The North Shore Adult Education Partnership is a network of educators, employers and service providers who work with adult students in Salem, Peabody, Beverly and Danvers. NSAEP members collaborate to plan region-wide, coordinate joint advocacy and visibility and integrate approaches for adult education.
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North Shore Community Action
North Shore Community Action Program (NSCAP) provides low-income individuals and families access and support for fuel assistance. Our Case Management staff works closely with NSCAP to provide local residents with this service.
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North Shore Hunger Network
The North Shore Hunger Network is a collaboration of food pantries on the North Shore, working together to alleviate the impact of hunger in communities North of Boston. Our Food Assistance staff plays an integral role in this group.
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Turtle Creek/Turtle Woods
Beverly Bootstraps has partnered with Turtle Creek and Turtle Woods to offer elderly residents a seasonal Mobile Market that provides free, fresh produce and vegetables on a weekly basis.
For some helpful information on how to interpret a non-profit’s financials, read this story.
CAREERS AND INTERNSHIPS
If you are interested in our Internship Program, please email hr@beverlybootstraps.org.
CONTACT US
BB NEWS
Read the latest on all the wonderful things Beverly Bootstraps is doing to support the members of our local communities.
Beverly Bootstraps has always been committed to social justice. Helping people who might not have their basic needs met or an opportunity to avail themselves of education, for whatever reason or life story, is at the core of our mission.
We proudly serve, work with and employ individuals regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, or nationality. Further, we ask our community and world to do better and work towards justice and equal opportunities.