BEVERLY — Beverly Bootstraps Executive Director Sue Gabriel will step down from the role this spring after 17 years of leading the social services nonprofit and food pantry.
“It has been an absolute honor to be the steward of this organization,” she told The Salem News Wednesday. “For so many years, we’ve done incredible, incredible work. The team here is just amazing and the mission is so critical, so I know the community will continue to support this organization through the next iteration and make sure that it’s here and it’s strong.”
Bootstraps serves more than 6,000 people through its food pantry, proceeds from its thrift shop and many programs centered on helping those in need.
Board of Directors President Marilyn Schlein Kramer announced Gabriel’s departure in a letter to donors this week.
“Through Sue’s thoughtful and compassionate leadership, Beverly Bootstraps has become a beacon of hope to thousands of community members in need,” Schlein Kramer said in the letter.
“Her unwavering dedication and vision have left a lasting legacy, ensuring that Beverly Bootstraps will continue to be a source of support and empowerment for generations to come.”
While the letter stated Gabriel’s last day would be March 28, that might stretch into April as the nonprofit works on a transition in leadership. The organization is expected to name an interim executive director in light of her departure, Gabriel said.
She has enjoyed her time with Bootstraps, but Gabriel said she wants her final decade or so before retirement to be filled with a new experience.
“I don’t know what that will be yet and so I’m actually seeking out what that might be,” she said. “I think it’s OK for me to find something new to do, and it’s OK for somebody else to have the opportunity to steward this organization for a while.”
Bootstraps grew significantly during Gabriel’s tenure. The organization, started in the basement of the First Baptist Church, moved from Cabot Street to its own building on Park Street in 2016 that was three times larger.
Gabriel led Bootstraps through the economic crash of the mid-2000s and the COVID-19 pandemic, with the food pantry open for all but two days during the pandemic, she said.
The last few years have seen the largest growth in need among the community in more than two decades, as visits to Bootstrap’s pantry have doubled, according to the letter.
Gabriel helped the organization expand into new communities and start new programs like rental and utility assistance, adult education, free income tax preparation and gift drives for Thanksgiving, back-to-school and the holiday season.
“The way that the work is done is so much more sophisticated, and the number of people that we serve is so much bigger,” she said.
Schlein Kramer thanked Gabriel for her service and said she will remain “a cherished member of the Beverly Bootstraps community.”
The board of directors has begun searching for a new executive director, she said, adding the organization “will work to ensure a smooth transition and plan to keep the community informed about our progress.”
Contact Caroline Enos at CEnos@northofboston.com