Special to the Record
The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, honored Kayem Foods with its Food Donor of the Year Award as part of its annual Partner Appreciation Awards.
Since 2003, GBFB’s Partner Appreciation Awards have celebrated the individuals and organizations who collaborate with the food bank to end hunger across Eastern Massachusetts. Awardees represent those who partnered with GBFB to advance its mission through food donations, volunteerism, advocacy, philanthropic support, and in-kind donations; empowering the 1 in 3 Massachusetts residents facing food insecurity in Eastern Massachusetts to access nutritious meals.
The Food Donor of the Year Award is given each year to a food donor that consistently donates nutrient-rich food and may also donate money and/or time.
Kayem Foods is a Chelsea-based, family-owned business, whose logistics team has worked seamlessly with GBFB to donate nearly 45,000 pounds of food – the equivalent of 37,452 healthy meals – through 16 deliveries to the GBFB facility. Products donated are high-quality, nutritious meat items, including sausage, ham, roast beef, chicken breast, turkey, bologna, meat balls, linguica and hot dogs.
The food manufacturer was started by Kazimierz and Helena Monkiewicz in 1909, who brought a love for creating and sharing traditional Polish recipes to the area. Over 100 years and four generations later, the business is still family-owned and operated.
“Kayem Foods has proudly supported The Greater Boston Food Bank for over 20 years in numerous ways, from participating on the Food Industry Committee to having teams of employees volunteer their time to pack boxes,” said Chris Reisner, Vice President of Sales at Kayem Foods. “At Kayem, we are deeply committed to our community, and we view our partnership with GBFB as a vital part of this support. We believe that together, we can make a significant impact on food insecurity. Thank you, GBFB, for all that you do.”
“The products donated by Kayem Foods are highly sought after, center-of-plate food items,” said GBFB Chief Operating Officer Cheryl Schondek. “As so many of our neighbors struggle to find enough to feed their families, we’re grateful to be able to provide hearty and nutritious meat products from a local, family-owned business to those in need. Thank you, Kayem Foods, for your dependable generosity and giving us the power to end hunger in Eastern Massachusetts.”
Ten other awards were given to GBFB’s network of food distribution partners, volunteers, public officials, donors and advocates who have shown dedication to mitigating the food insecurity crisis and providing wide-ranging contributions to hunger-relief. See the full list of honorees here.
The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and one of the largest food banks in the country. For nearly half a century, GBFB has fueled Eastern Massachusetts’ hunger-relief system, putting nearly 90 million healthy meals on tables across the region each year. Over 600 community-based pantries and other local partners in 190 cities and towns depend on GBFB to provide access to healthy food for 600,000 people every month. GBFB is committed to the belief that access to healthy food is a human right regardless of an individual’s circumstances. Through policy, partnerships, and providing free, nutritious, and culturally responsive food, GBFB is committed to addressing the root causes of food insecurity while promoting racial, gender and economic equity in food access. Together, we have the power to end hunger here. For more information and to help us help others, visit us at GBFB.org, follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@gr8bosfoodbank) and Instagram, or call us at 617.427.5200.