SWAMPSCOTT — After a four-year hiatus, the Habitat for Humanity International Food Fair will be officially returning to Swampscott on March 8.
Chair of Habitat for Humanity, Swampscott resident Debbie Sawyer, took time on Tuesday to explain the significance of the event and how it first came to be. “My father, Warren Sawyer, first connected with the initiative over 40 years ago, while he served on the International Board of Directors for [former] president Jimmy Carter,” Sawyer said.
Sawyer added that shortly after her father became connected with the initiative, he helped open what’s now known as the Essex County Habitat for Humanity in Lynn. “He started this as an annual fundraiser, and until COVID-19 hit, it was an annual event at our church.”
After her father died in November 2024, Sawyer connected with her sister, Heidi Whear, director of aging services for Swampscott Senior Center, and decided the best course of action was for Sawyer — who was retired at the time — to take over the initiative in her father’s honor and carry on his legacy.
Sawyer was excited to announce that the food fair will be returning for the first time on March 8 at the First Church in Swampscott, located at 40 Monument Ave. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will offer attendees a chance to learn about ongoing building projects and taste a diverse plethora of foods from around the world. It will also feature a silent auction for residents.
All proceeds from the event will go toward Essex County Habitat for Humanity and Habitat for Humanity International, in order to help the organization’s goal of creating and improving affordable housing, according to Sawyer.
