When Simply Sweet owner Wendy Smith Kennedy got a call from a customer asking if she would take a monetary donation so Smith Kennedy could give Easter baskets to children who may be going without this Sunday, she jumped at the offer. “The customer (who would like to remain anonymous) wanted to do something to help the community this Easter and felt bringing a bit of joy to young children was one way to do it.
Smith Kennedy reached out on Facebook to ask the community where the greatest need might be. “The principal of Salisbury Elementary School, James Montanari, reached out to let me know some of the children in his school has a tremendous need this holiday.” So Smith Kennedy began filling baskets with chocolate bunnies and jellybeans. “We were able to deliver more than 100 baskets to the principal so he could distribute to the children,” she says.
Other customers learned about the Easter baskets and began donating additional funds to Smith Kennedy. “It was so wonderful to see the community reaching out in this way” she says. “We were able to deliver another 40 chocolate bunnies and other goodies to the Amesbury school system.
Simply Sweet has built a following over its many years in business. Smith Kennedy got her start with another well known local candy shop called “Something Sweet,” which as since closed. She opened Simply Sweet back in 2002 and has made it the candy shop destination for Newburyport and its surrounding towns.
Much of Simply Sweet’s candy is handmade in small batches with the high quality ingredients. Some handmade favorites include nonpariels, turtles, chocolate creams, and peppermint bark.
Simply Sweet also has gluten-free offerings and nut free products. Smith Kennedy continues to make sell Easter baskets this weekend—each with a unique sampling of candies, such as Swedish fish, sweet tarts and of course multi-colored jelly beans. She is offering curbside pickup and two customers are allowed in the store at a time to shop.
To order candy, an Easter basket or to make a donation visit, simplysweetnewburyport.com.