Back To Basics Wellington-Based Nonprofit Helps Children In Need

Back To Basics Wellington-Based
Nonprofit Helps Children In Need

Back to Basics, a Wellington-based charitable organization, has easily helped more than 500,000 children in need in Palm Beach and Martin counties over the course of three decades.

Founded by Wellington resident Beverly Perham, Back to Basics is now in its 34th year.

Adamant in keeping her promises, Perham and her team help as many children as possible, be it through providing school uniforms in August or providing holiday gifts in December. Through its Christmas season Angel Program, each child receives new sneakers, socks, underwear and a toy.

Back to Basics recently provided school uniforms to students in 47 schools, as well as the Guatemalan-Maya Center in Lake Worth. They delivered 12,000 school uniforms in Palm Beach County — up 2,000 from the 2016-17 school year.

However, the numbers, and the need, continue to grow.

“We took on a few more schools, and then a few more of the schools,” Perham said. “We really need to increase how much we give, because they’re so desperate. However, I can’t commit to more than I think we can handle.”

This holiday season, she has 7,015 children on the list provided to the organization through schools — up from 5,800 last year. Students at 51 schools will be served during the upcoming holiday season.

“It’s sad that we have that many, and we could do more, but you can only do what you have funding for,” Perham said. “Right now, we’re going to be in desperate straits for Christmas.”

Businesses, organizations and groups will come to Perham and ask for a list of children to “adopt” for the holiday season. Back to Basics provides a first name only, the school and what size items the child needs. Then, the participating organizations purchase the clothing and gifts, bringing them to a drop-off location.

“They have to just call me, and we’ll make arrangements,” Perham said.

If there are children who haven’t been adopted, grants and cash donations help Back to Basics provide the much-needed items for those children.

Perham takes as many names from the schools as possible — and will make sure those children receive their gifts. However, as more children are in need, it is getting more difficult to keep up with the demand.

Individuals are also able to receive names and information to help children in need. In fact, a core group of individual donors are one of the driving forces behind the organization.

Back to Basics is tax-exempt, and any gift is tax-deductible, Perham added.

Purchasing for Back to Basics is kept local, she noted, and each year, she estimates that $500,000 is poured into the local economy as individuals and businesses purchase items to help local children in need.

“It makes me feel good that it’s done in the community,” Perham said. “The best part is that it’s done anonymously and nobody gets highlighted. We don’t get praised for our work. We do it because we have a love for the community and we want the community to survive, and the only way the community survives is if you take care of the children. If the kids go to school and learn, that’s the satisfaction involved. That’s what the purpose is, to keep the kids in school so they do learn, so they will be able to support themselves when they’re adults.”

The gifts are done anonymously, so the children and their families are protected and their privacy respected.

“It’s sad that kids don’t have underwear to wear to school, but it’s a fact,” Perham said. “It’s reality that it happens.”

Over the years, the need has consistently continued to grow, and like she has done every year, Perham has put out the call for supporters and volunteers to help out this holiday season.

Back to Basics is always accepting donations and has many volunteer opportunities available. For more information, call Perham at (561) 319-4277, e-mail info@backtobasicsinc.org or visit www.backtobasicsinc.org.

Facebookpinterestmail