As Breast Cancer Awareness Month arrives in October, Cedar’s Foods, a Haverhill-based Mediterranean food company, is continuing its support for breast cancer research through notable charitable contributions and community engagement. Since 2020, Cedar’s has annually donated $50,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). Throughout the month, the company’s hommus products will feature the pink ribbon logo associated with the foundation.

The company’s commitment is motivated in part by its employees, some of whom are breast cancer survivors or currently undergoing treatment. To honor local healthcare providers and caregivers, Cedar’s is distributing hommus snack packs to Merrimack Health facilities located in Haverhill, Lawrence, and Methuen.

“We think nationally but act locally,” said Aimee Tsakirellis, executive vice president of marketing at Cedar’s Foods. “And do whatever we can to make a transitional difference for our employees and the community.”

Community support has long been integral to Cedar’s business philosophy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company donated thousands of pounds of hommus to area residents. It has also funded various community events across the Merrimack Valley and the broader New England region. “It’s a pillar of who we are,” Tsakirellis added.

Founded in the 1970s by Lebanese immigrants Abe and Layla Hanna, Cedar’s began as a small family business selling Layla’s hommus in a local DeMoulas Market. The surge in popularity of chickpea-based dips in the 1990s helped expand the company’s reach. Today, Cedar’s is the largest producer of hommus in the U.S., manufacturing nearly 150 million pounds annually. Its products are distributed through more than 15,000 retailers nationwide.

Cedar’s hommus is available in 8-ounce tubs priced between $2.99 and $3.99. For more information, consumers can visit the company’s website.