November 16, 2012

John's Spotlight: Beverly Bootstraps

Dear Friend, 

During the upcoming holiday season, many residents, businesses and organizations around our communities dedicate their time, energy and resources to help others. This commitment to serving others always leaves me incredibly impressed and appreciative. During the next few months, I look forward to visiting our communities to thank local residents for their hard work and to join them in their service activities!

Additionally, I want to take this opportunity to re-launch my John's Spotlight program to help highlight the accomplishments of residents and organizations in our area. In the last year, I spotlighted The Open Door in Gloucester, the Lynn Community Health Center, and EMARC in Reading, to name just a few. I continue to receive nominations of organizations from local residents who have witnessed the compassion and spirit of service exhibited by members of our communities. I feel privileged to be able to spotlight just some of the work being done to help make our area a better place.

Today I am spotlighting Beverly Bootstraps, a local organization that I have visited several times and hope to spend time with next week. Beverly Bootstraps provides critical resources to families and individuals so they may achieve self-sufficiency. This includes access to food, housing stability, adult and youth education, counseling and advocacy.

Beverly Bootstraps continues to grow and thrive in our community due to its wonderful staff, Board and volunteers, and because of its ability to adapt to the needs of local families. While Beverly Bootstraps first started as small food pantry in 1992, it now regularly provides food to more than 1,000 families, offers a Mobile Market, provides summer lunches, and recently launched Saturday hours so those working individuals who may not be able to get to the pantry during the week, but who still can't afford fresh fruit or vegetables, can utilize the pantry to feed healthy meals to their families.

In addition, Beverly Bootstraps staff and volunteers work one-on-one with local residents to help meet their needs. Whether it's helping a single mom clothe her child through the Thrift Shop program or helping a senior citizen cover his or her heat through the Gift of Heat program, Beverly Bootstraps is making a real difference in our community.

Throughout the holiday season, these men and women will also continue their work with our children. Beverly Bootstraps provides after-school homework clubs and conducts literacy programs, but they also allow local residents to "Adopt-a-Family" and help give hundreds of children holiday gifts and necessities they would otherwise not receive.

I hope that you will share with me experiences that you have had with local organizations and stories about your friends and neighbors who are helping our communities. Moving forward, please use the form located here on my website to recommend your friends, neighbors and local organizations that deserve to be acknowledged!

Sincerely,

John F. Tierney

Member of Congress

P.S. Don't forget that you can follow me on Twitter @RepTierney and connect with me on Facebook.

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