Beverly 'Fixins For The Feast' Food Drive Fills Up

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an update to a previous post. Beverly Bootstraps has reached its goal with those committed to donating for this food drive and cannot accept any donations from those who did not register already due to coronavirus-related protocols.)

BEVERLY, MA — With the coronavirus health crisis exacerbating food insecurity concerns this year the Beverly Bootstraps community outreach organization organized a "Fixins for the Feast" food drive with the goal of filling 450 bags with holiday meals.

Through the generosity of city residents, the group reached its goal of committed donations ahead of Saturday's drop off.

"This whole season people have been amazing," Beverly Bootstraps Marketing Director Sally Hunter told Patch Friday morning. "It's been: 'We want to help with this. We want to help with that.'

"They have been very generous. There are always more ways to help."

Hunter told Patch more initiatives for this holiday season will be announced soon.

Those putting together bags were asked to commit to include at least one of the following: French's fried onions, cranberry sauce, canned gravy, chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup, family size instant mashed potatoes, canned green beans, stuffing mix, cake and frosting or brownie mix.

The Saturday food drop off is only for those who have pre-registered and committed to a donation.

Beverly Bootstraps Director of Development and External Affairs Heather Johnson told Patch in September that their food requests have doubled since the onset of the pandemic in March.

"We have seen some pretty significant growth," she said. "Even pre-COVID there was a wide variety of income levels in the community. What we've seen over the last couple of years is that it's not always certain pockets. It might be your neighbor."