Thanksgiving: It All Starts with Pie

By: Eliza Yoder, Special Events Associate

 “We wish to express our gratitude for Thanksgiving dinner, which was delicious. Thank you very much for sharing; thank you for showing your concern; thank you for letting us know how much you care and that we are not alone.”

- Note from a Food & Friends Client



The Fabulous Baker Boys: Dan, Mark and Tim

  Thanksgiving is a special holiday for Food & Friends. On this day, hundreds of volunteers deliver our clients a FULL Thanksgiving dinner complete with roast turkey, all the trimmings and an apple and sweet potato pie. For our clients, who year-round rely so heavily on the help of others, Thanksgiving is the one time they can host their friends and family around the dinner table and treat them to a delicious holiday meal. At Food & Friends, we know the meaning of a home-cooked meal and the dignity and warmth it can give to those who need it most.

Five years ago we launched our Thanksgiving pie sale – Slice of Life. Through November 17th, you can purchase holiday pies for yourself, friends and loved ones, or a Food & Friends client. $25, the cost of one of our gourmet pies, provides a FULL DAY OF MEALS for a client battling HIV/AIDS or cancer. It is a simple gesture, but a palpable reminder of all that a moment of kindness and compassion can give to those who need it most.

Slice of Life is about more than just sweet desserts; it is about connecting a community. We rely on the entire community during the holidays, not only to get thousands of meals out the door, but also to help sell over 7,000 pies and raise more than $250,000 for our services. Volunteers, companies, local food bloggers, social groups and individual supporters rally together to sell pies to their friends and neighbors because they know that each pie sold is a lifeline for our clients.

One of our most dedicated pie sellers is Food & Friends’ very own baker, Tim Devine. If you’re familiar with Food & Friends, chances are you know Tim. He is popular with our kitchen volunteers and staff, and EVERYONE loves his ‘Devine’ Chocolate Chip Cookies, which have become a Food & Friends signature. Yet come Thanksgiving, Tim is making an impact not by baking pies, but by selling them.

“I get great satisfaction knowing that I am contributing to making someone's life a bit easier while they are struggling with health issues and day-to-day activities. Selling pies is a small but meaningful way for me to give back to the community and help sustain the cause.”

Tim, long-time volunteer Dan Kaufman and our Executive Chef Mark Locraft are TEAM Fabulous Baker Boys.  They’ve raised over $18,000 during the past two pie sales – that’s over 700 pies sold! But, as they say, they are not content to rest on their laurels…or pie tins.

Currently, more than 120 pie sellers are registered for Slice of Life. They all know that each pie helps to make Food & Friends’ mission a reality – bringing meals and hope to those in our community who face life-challenging illnesses. We ask that you join this dedicated community by starting your own sales team, buying a pie for yourself, or one for our clients, so that this Thanksgiving you don’t just give thanks, you give back.

Get involved, visit www.foodandfriends.org/pie to get started!