LYNN — Demakes Enterprises has been named as 2022 Food Donor of the Year by the Greater Boston Food Bank.
“Their work ethic and commitment to supporting the local community is part of their DNA,” GBFB Chief Operating Officer Cheryl Schondek said. “They get it.”
According to Schondek, the company, which has produced meat like sausages, chicken, beef, and cold cuts at its 37 Waterhill St. facility for more than a century, has partnered with the GBFB since 2017.
“It started off with a few pallets of products and, as they say, the rest is history,” Schondek said. “Last year (they donated) 450,000 pounds.”
Andrew Demakes is one of three brothers at the helm of the company, which has been family owned for four generations. He said the company’s work with the food bank is a continuation of a long commitment to the community that has supported it since 1914.
“We feel very fortune,” Demakes said. “We feel we have a responsibility to help as many people as possible.”
Demakes Enterprises produces several products for private-label brands at grocery stores like Market Basket and Aldi as well as under the Old Neighborhood brand. Demakes noted the product donated to the Greater Boston Food Bank is the exact same quality as what is sold on grocery store shelves and pointed out how important it is that the same high-quality food be available to people in any situation.
“When you sit across a dinner table those are some of the most fond memories you have with family and friends when you have a good meal,” Demakes said. “When we put our name on something, we want people to always have a positive experience.”
Schondek also noted how important it is to have high-quality food like Demakes Enterprises donates.
“People need to eat. We need to give them food with dignity, equality, and let them thrive,” she said. “That’s what these donations do.”
According to Schondek, meat is an important nutritious staple for the around 600,000 clients per month all over the state that take advantage of aid from the GBFB, with protein-rich food from Demakes Enterprises being one of the most requested products from the food bank.
“This is what I call the ‘center of the plate item,’” Schondek said. “You build your plate with that main protein item and then you put your vegetables and such around it.”
Schondek pointed out how crucial the donations are to the food bank’s efforts to solve issues of malnutrition and food insecurity, especially for children and families.
“We recognize that we need to solve food insecurity and hunger,” she said. “One of the ways to do that is about partnering with donors like this and listening to the individuals who are hearing the impact. These are the items that they want and the items they need.”
Eleven other awards were given over the past year to valued partner agencies, public officials, volunteers, donors, and other organizations that have made considerable contributions to the Greater Boston Food Bank’s mission to end hunger as part of its annual Partner Appreciation Awards.
