Pawtucket Man Marks 25 Years At Greater Boston Food Bank

PAWTUCKET, RI — Kelly Sajous and his wife love living in the Darlington neighborhood, where they enjoy a quiet lifestyle and occasional dinners out at Spumoni's Italian Restaurant.

But every day, the two get into a car and commute to Massachusetts, where Sajous is the top volunteer coordinator at the Greater Boston Food Bank.

Sajous recently marked 25 years working at the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, and his co-workers honored him with a party. He was presented with a jacket, a license plate holder, flowers, and other gifts. But Sajous said helping to feed people is the only gift that he really needs.

"I love the food bank mission," said Sajous. "That's what motivates me. That, and the people."

Sajous told Patch that his journey to a job that he loves involved a number of twists and turns.

Born in Haiti, Sajous arrived in New York in 1977 at the age of 13 with his siblings. He graduated from high school in Brooklyn and attended Ulster Community College and New York Technical Institute. He transferred to Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston where he studied electrical engineering, but did not complete his degree.

"I needed to make some money," he said. "Going to school and working at the same time was no longer realistic. My top priority was my family."

By then Sajous and his then-girlfriend already had two young children.

Sajous worked at the former Polaroid plant in Norwood where he learned how to repair cameras and learned a lot about warehouse logistics. He also found himself teaching formerly incarcerated men through a program called Inner City.

"I was working with people who were getting out of jail," he said. "I was tutoring them in algebra. We were helping people get a fresh start."

In 1996, Sajous was working at the Greater Boston Food Bank in a temporary warehouse position when his immediate supervisor, "Mustafa," told him that CEO Catherine D'Amato wanted to see him.

"I thought to myself, oh no! What have I done! But instead, she offered me a full-time job to coordinate all of the volunteers. With the stipulation that I would be willing to work Wednesday nights and Saturdays."

He jumped at the chance. And the minute he started, he knew he had found his calling.

"You should see. All the retirees who come in early to sort and package food. People from all walks of life. I love the volunteers."

In a news release, food bank officials described Sajous as a beloved figure.

“The reason we have so many volunteers come through this building is Kelly Sajous. They come back to see Kelly, to experience their shift with Kelly and to hear his voice and see his smile,” remarked Cheryl Schondek, an executive in charge of supply chain operations.

In 2001, Sajous and his now-wife bought their home in Pawtucket. "My brother called me and said we would like it here," he told Patch. "We couldn't afford to buy a house in Boston. That's how we arrived in Darlington. It is a great neighborhood."

He said he doesn't mind the hour-and-a-half commute, because his wife works in Boston, too, and despite the fact that traffic is bad, they enjoy the ride together.

"We're living the American dream," he said.