Beverly Bootstraps provides year-round services to local children and families in need. Our Youth & Family programs focus on connecting families with the tools they need to achieve self-sufficiency. We provide children with increased access to food when not in school, school supplies to start off the academic year, opportunities for summer camp and a holiday gift program for families.
Youth & Family
Winter Wishes Holiday Gifts
Clients looking for holiday assistance: If you would like to receive information when 2024 Winter Wishes Holiday Gifts registration begins, please complete this form >>
Donors: Thanks to the amazing generosity of our community, we brought happiness to 801 children from 369 families during this holiday season.
Many families in our community are not able to purchase presents for their children. Through Winter Wishes Holiday Gifts, donors can provide these children with new clothes, games, and toys. Donors will have the unique opportunity to select a family for which they can purchase holiday gifts. Each family in need will have completed a wish list for donors to shop with. After all, the holidays are all about giving!
In mid-October each year, donors who have previously supported this program, as well as those who have requested to be on the mailing (see the button below to request to be added to the mailing), will be sent a link to the family profiles. Donors will be able to choose which families they would like to sponsor during the holiday season. When a donor finds the family or families that touch their heart, they can select them and easily print their wish lists.
Donors then bring the gifts, unwrapped, to our offices the week after Thanksgiving.
If you would like information about being involved with Winter Wishes Holiday Gifts in 2024, please fill out the form linked below. We will contact you in mid-October with further details. Thank you for your continued support. 2024 Winter Wishes Donor Interest Form >>
Back-to-School Backpacks
Clients looking for backpack and school supply assistance: Our 2023 Back-to-School Backpack distribution is complete. All remaining backpacks have been distributed to public schools in our service area. If you need a backpack and school supplies for your child, please reach out directly to your child’s school.
If you would like to receive information when the 2024 Back-to-School backpack program begins, please complete this form >>
Thank you to our donors: With unprecedented need this year, and thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, 910 new backpacks filled with school supplies were distributed to children in the community.
The Back-to-School Backpack program serves children (grades K-12) who live in Beverly, Manchester, Hamilton, Wenham and Essex. Our families were incredibly appreciative of this help, and so are we. For over 20 years, the Back-to-School Backpack program has been helping local children be prepared for a successful school year and lessen the financial burden on families. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who participated in this initiative!
If you or your company would like to get involved with our 2024 Back-to-School Backpack drive, please fill out this form >>
Book Bonanza Book Fair
For many parents, summertime brings added financial stress. In 2022, Beverly Bootstraps recognized this need in our community and hosted a book fair to help students kick off their summer reading on a positive note. Our Book Bonanza Book Fair helps alleviate the added stress of affording required summer reading books. In 2023, we partnered with Copper Dog Books and The Book Shop of Beverly Farms to ensure we have the required summer reading books for schools in our service area. Thanks to our generous community donors, we were able to provide nearly 70 children from our service area with summer reading books.
Kids Eat Healthy Initiative
No kid should go hungry or worry about where their next meal is coming from. As of March 2021, 20.6% of children in Essex County, are food insecure and are faced with these challenges every day. Through the Kids Eat Healthy initiative, we are committed to supporting local children in need of food.
Summer Camp
Summer Camp is an enriching experience that every child should be able to enjoy. Through the generosity of local donors, each year we are able to provide at-risk children access to a camp experience. Camp slots are provided for free or at greatly reduced prices.
Priority is given to families that have utilized other services offered by Beverly Bootstraps and can prove financial need.
“If it wasn’t for you, my kids wouldn’t have a holiday. But because of you, I can now see a smile on their faces.”
– Janelle, single mom of two young boys