Hanna Honored for His Dedication to Community, Culture, and Corporate Responsibility
BOSTON — Cedar’s Foods is proud to announce that CEO Charles Hanna has been named a recipient of the 2025 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, one of the nation’s most prestigious awards celebrating immigrant contributions and public service. As a Lebanese immigrant, business leader, and lifelong philanthropist, Hanna is being recognized not only for transforming Cedar’s into a leading national Mediterranean foods brand, but for his extraordinary commitment to giving back to the community, both domestically and abroad.
Over the past decade, Charles Hanna has spearheaded more than $20 million in charitable contributions through Cedar’s philanthropic platform, Cedar’s with Heart—an initiative he personally founded. Through this program, Cedar’s has donated millions of pounds of product both domestically and internationally, supporting over 150,000 individuals and funding food security, youth development, women’s health, and vocational training programs.
Deeply committed to eliminating food insecurity among children in Cedar’s home state of Massachusetts, Charles has expanded Cedar’s with Heart’s mission to support causes across education, public safety, community development, and international humanitarian efforts. Longtime partners include organizations such as the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, L’Arche Boston North, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
His humanitarian efforts in Lebanon have been life-changing: rebuilding churches, stimulating the local economy through job creation, providing thousands of COVID-19 vaccinations and medications during the pandemic, and funding critical infrastructure in his hometown of Karkha, including electricity, schools, and heating systems.
In 2025 alone, Cedar’s has contributed over $300,000 to initiatives advancing education, equity, nutrition, and community well-being—supporting organizations like the Indian Rock Park Fund, Haverhill Police Department, regional YMCAs, Emmaus House, UTEC, Creative Haverhill, Ruth’s House, and L’Arche Boston’s Culinary Program, among many others.
“At Cedar’s, we’ve always believed that food is a powerful way to bring people together – but giving back is what truly defines us,” said Charles Hanna, CEO, Cedar’s Foods. “As someone who came to this country as an immigrant, I feel deeply honored to be recognized with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. This is a celebration not just of my personal journey, but of our company’s shared values and commitment to making a difference.”
Since taking the helm in the early 1990s, Charles Hanna has transformed Cedar’s Foods from a small regional operation into the world’s largest hommus producer and a category-defining brand found in over 13,500 retail locations nationwide. Under his leadership, the company has nearly tripled its annual revenue over the past decade and now produces more than 145 million pounds of product each year—including 120 million pounds of hommus alone.
The company has also grown into the second-largest food manufacturer in Massachusetts, operating a campus of five buildings totaling over 500,000 square feet. Even as the business has scaled, Hanna has remained focused on Cedar’s founding values: authenticity, family, and community.
The Ellis Island Medals of Honor are awarded annually to individuals—both native-born and naturalized—who have made profound contributions to American society while celebrating their cultural heritage. This year, 85 honorees will be recognized during a black-tie gala on Saturday, May 10th in the historic Great Hall on Ellis Island. Since its founding, the medal has been awarded to an esteemed and diverse group of Americans, including Presidents Ronald Reagan and Joe Biden, Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, Senator John McCain, Muhammad Ali, and former Apple CEO John Sculley.
“This evening is a tribute – one that honors perseverance, accomplishment, and service. Tonight, we recognize the remarkable contributions of 85 individuals to the United States and the world,” said EIHS Chairman Nasser J. Kazeminy. “These honorees, representing a wide range of disciplines, exemplify the extraordinary potential of a nation built on freedom and opportunity. America’s rapid progress is a testament to its ability to harness the energy and ingenuity of its people. Nowhere else in history has freedom and individual dignity been more accessible and protected. When people think of the ‘Land of the Free,’ the United States stands alone.”
To view the full list of 2025 Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients, visit https://www.eihonors.org/eimoh2025. For more information on Cedar’s Foods and its community initiatives, visit https://www.cedarsfoods.com.
ABOUT CEDAR’S FOODS
Founded in 1981, Cedar’s Foods is a family-owned company dedicated to sharing the authentic, vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean with American consumers. With a commitment to quality and tradition, Cedar’s Foods crafts its products using time-honored recipes and only the finest, freshest ingredients. Each dip, spread, and sauce is designed to capture the essence of Mediterranean cuisine, delivering rich, bold flavors and innovative combinations that enhance any meal. Cedar’s Foods offers a wide range of products, from classic hommus and tzatziki to exciting new flavors and limited-time offerings. Proudly free from artificial preservatives, flavors, and colors, Cedar’s Foods products cater to health-conscious consumers seeking delicious, high-quality options. Today, Cedar’s Foods remains a leader in the Mediterranean foods category, providing millions of consumers nationwide with flavorful, wholesome, and versatile options to elevate everyday snacking and dining.
ABOUT ELLIS ISLAND HONORS SOCIETY
The Ellis Island Honors Society (EIHS) was founded on the conviction that the diversity of the American people is what makes this nation great. EIHS honors the contributions made by immigrants and their descendants throughout American history. We do this by creating scholarships with a focus on immigration, supporting cultural events and programs around the nation, and mobilizing our community of Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients to raise funds for disaster relief worldwide.
