Fixins for the Feast: Beverly Bootstraps Thanksgiving Food Drive

For years, Shore has partnered with local organization Beverly Bootstraps to put together what is a treasured annual experience for both sides of this mutual relationship. Beverly Bootstraps is a Beverly-based group which does an incredible amount of good for the less fortunate members of our local community, including providing food assistance, housing assistance, and a number of other services to those in need. Shore is proud to be a long term partner, and the relationship between organization and school spans multiple decades. 

While Shore works with Beverly Bootstraps on numerous projects throughout the year, one of the most significant is always in the late fall, when the Shore community comes together to fill bags of food to provide healthy Thanksgiving meals to families in our area who may not be able to provide for themselves. Each bag contains a specific set of products and ingredients which are collected and distributed in order to ensure that as many families as possible can enjoy a filling meal featuring traditional Thanksgiving staples and celebrate the holiday without having to face the stress and emotions that can often come with the holidays for the less fortunate. “We’ve learned a lot over the years,” says Jennifer Boyum, Service Learning Coordinator, who helps organize the drive every year. “We have a system now with the shopping list they provide, and what we generally do in the Lower School is that each grade level is responsible for an item or two. The Upper School works a little bit differently, as students take more ownership of the project, and each advisory makes their own decisions in regards to their goals for Fixins for the Feast.” explains Boyum. “For example, one Grade 8 advisory decided that they were each going to bring in six of a specific item for a total of six bags, while another Grade 8 advisory paired up, with each pair responsible for creating one bag,” she continues. 

Boyum, along with Oliver Hay, Head of Upper School and Director of Secondary School Counseling, and other school leaders, have spearheaded this initiative for years, and the result is a student body full of passionate young minds who look forward to the drive every year. For new Shore students, like Mirabel B., being a part of something big like this is an important experience. “I went on a field trip to Beverly Bootstraps when I was younger, so I got to see how impactful their work is to families firsthand,” she says, as she loads a cart full of bags to be delivered and distributed. “Also, I really love Thanksgiving, and I want to help other people experience it for themselves!” she adds with a smile. Inspiring our students to participate in meaningful experiences like this one is an important part of building empathy, a crucial piece of a Shore education for every Shore student.