'I’ve never witnessed anything like this'

With SNAP food assistance benefits in doubt, the line at Beverly Bootstraps was out the door.

A sign in the lobby at Beverly Bootstraps says it’s a “politics-free zone,” so let’s apply that philosophy to this story. Instead of debating who’s to blame for the government shutdown and the suspension of SNAP benefits, let’s concentrate on what’s being done about it here in Beverly, particularly at Bootstraps.

SNAP is the national food aid program that helps people pay for their groceries. Starting today, the government was scheduled to stop payments to recipients because of the shutdown.

I stopped by Bootstraps just after 10 o’clock this morning to see what that meant for our local food pantry. It didn’t take long to see the impact. The line was out the door. Inside, the phone kept ringing. People stopped by with grocery bags full of donations. Food was coming by mail and by Amazon. Out back, Bootstraps staffers Mike Eisenhaur and Kris Wilke were unloading a truck full of bread.

Kris Wilke unloads a delivery at Bootraps.

“I’ve never witnessed anything like this,” said Tom Cooke, who has worked the front desk at Bootstraps for 15 years. “This has been the most emotional week of my life.”

Allison Caffrey, Bootstraps’ still-new executive director (she started in September), said the number of people seeking food assistance started ramping up two weeks ago in anticipation of the SNAP benefits freeze. She said Bootstraps has been averaging 615 people per week the last two weeks at the food pantry, up from its usual 500.

That, of course, is the sad news. The encouraging, even heartening, news is the response of the community to the crisis. Cooke told me that one guy walked into the lobby, held up his credit card, and said, “How much do you need?” Another came in, handed over a $10,000 check, and walked back out without saying a word.

“They’re not here for the recognition,” Cooke said of the donors. “They’re just good people.”

While I was talking with Caffey in the lobby, Babette Loring walked in and handed her a bag full of food. I followed Loring out to the parking lot and asked her why she did it.

“I’m sorry, the world is just crazy,” Loring said. “Why are they targeting families and children? It’s just not right.”

“Thank goodness Bootstraps is here,” she said.

Bootstraps has strict privacy rules when it comes to their clients, obviously for good reason, so I couldn’t take photos of the long line or talk to any of the recipients. Outside, a mother stood waiting for a ride with a bag full of groceries. Her young son sat on the curb, pouring down a bag of chips like he was drinking a glass of water.

Caffrey said about 4,500 people in Beverly receive SNAP benefits, plus about 500 more in the other four towns in Bootstraps’ coverage area, Hamilton, Wenham, Manchester and Essex. She said Bootstraps has enough food for now, thanks to the response of the community and assistance from agencies like the Boston Food Bank.

Bootstraps Executive Director Allison Caffrey

But she’s not sure what will happen if the impasse drags on. She said the timing is tricky, with the end of the growing season making it difficult to find fresh local produce, and also with the holiday season coming up.

“Frankly we don’t know what that will look like,” Caffrey said. “We’re hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. Our goal is to have food on our shelves and not turn anyone away.”

“The community has stepped up in an incredible way,” she added. “It’s neighbor helping neighbor.”

Back out front, the line was still long but moving at a pretty good pace. Cooke literally wiped away tears as we ended our conversation. Then he went back to the desk to answer another call.

Tom Cooke at the front desk.

This story has been corrected to reflect that Bootstraps has been seeing 615 visits per week to the pantry, not per day.