East Boston based Sparrow Enterprises, a family owned food distribution business, made a generous donation last week to two neighborhood-based nonprofits that are running daily free breakfast and lunch sites.
Heeding a call from Rep. Adrian Madaro for local businesses to try to help nonprofits during these difficult times, Sparrow’s Henry Baybutt stepped up and answered the call.
Baybutt said Sparrow donated thousands of snacks to the East Boston YMCA and the Salesian Boys & Girls Club, two organizations that are food distribution sites in the neighborhood.
“Sparrow has been a family business for over 50 years,” said Baybutt. “We consider all of our employees as family as well as the community where we operate. We have been fortunate to have our business in East Boston for about 20 years and we are happy to help our friends and family in need. At these unprecedented times we welcome the opportunity to help our local community. It’s simply put, the right thing to do!!.”
East Boston YMCA Executive Director Joe Gaeta said the donation will help the Y’s efforts and add to the variety of free meals being offered.
“This donation will go a long way to make sure that we are providing healthy snacks to our families during this event,” said Gaeta. “The need for food right now in East Boston is in very high demand, so any donations we get we will get out to the community”
Salesian Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Michael Triant added that, “Eighty percent of our members are from below the poverty level. These families rely on community based organizations to provide for them. Donations from companies like Sparrow Foods provide comfort to these families during extremely difficult times. On behalf of all the families this donation will impact, we are extremely grateful.”
Sparrow is an Importer and distributor of bulk commodity ingredients, fine chocolates, and food service products including Cocoa powder, coconut, seeds, milk powders and more.
Located in Eastie, Sparrow was founded in 1924 as a regional distributor of cocoa powder and chocolate to the confectionary trade. Today, Sparrow offers over 10 specialty chocolate lines, and carries over 2,000 products for use throughout the food industry. Sparrow specializes in chocolate and other commodity items for use in baking, confectionary, and ice cream/dairy industries.
“I was pleased to facilitate a donation from East Boston-based Sparrow of thousands of raisin packets to be distributed to families in our community through the East Boston YMCA and the Salesian Boys & Girls Club of East Boston,” said Rep. Madaro. “Thank you to the Salesian Boys and Girls Club for assisting with transportation and thank you to Henry Baybutt and Sparrow for your amazing generosity during these challenging times.”