Community Servings Launches 22nd Annual Pie in the Sky Fundraiser to Support Mission of Providing Medically Tailored Meals to the Critically ill in Massachusetts

Spanning two decades after Community Servings and CEO David Waters pioneered the pie sale fundraising concept, the Boston-based food and nutrition nonprofit will once again celebrate the annual fall Pie in the Sky bake sale. This idea, which has since become a national model for organizations across the country, brings together top Boston-area chefs, bakeries and caterers to donate 18,000 pies that thousands of volunteers prepare, package and sell in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Each pie costs $28 and will provide a weeks’ worth of home-delivered meals to the critically ill and their families.

“Pie in the Sky offers the entire community an opportunity to help their sick neighbors who are unable to cook for themselves and in exchange they are given a delicious pie baked by one of Boston’s top chefs,” said David B. Waters, CEO of Community Servings. “The connection between health and nutrition is important to any individual, but especially those with critical illnesses that often are accompanied by complex medical diets. For this population, what they eat can often mean the difference between life and death.”

Over the course of the past year, Community Servings, based in Jamaica Plain, has seen a 13 percent increase in demand for their home delivered medically tailored meal service delivering a record setting 525,000 nutritious meals to more than 1,525 sick clients across the Commonwealth, 92 percent of whom live in poverty.

In the past 21 years, Pie in the Sky, has raised nearly $7 million dollars to benefit its food and nutrition program, with $.93 of every dollar going directly to support the mission of the organization.

Deemed the “World’s Greatest Bake Sale”, the Pie in the Sky operation is no ordinary bake sale. Community Servings recruits 150 area chefs and bakers who donate more than 18,000 homemade pies and on November 18th volunteer “pie-sellers” hit the streets of Boston for Pie Day, an annual tradition that helps promote sales. Hundreds of volunteers then gather at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, known as “Pie Central”, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to check, sort and package the thousands of pies that will be delivered to more than 90 pick-up stations throughout the Commonwealth including destinations such as One Financial Center and over 30 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage offices.

“The operation of Pie in the Sky is incredible and has been an extraordinary thing to watch evolve over the years,” said Waters. “I would have never guessed two decades ago that a pie sale could bring together so many community members and raise close to $7 million to support our mission of food as medicine. This single bake sale has truly transformed our organization.”

This year’s list of bakers, chefs, and caterers include a range of talented participants from the Greater Boston Area, some who have been baking with Community Servings since the fundraiser’s founding more than two decades ago. More than 150 participants from the Greater Boston area have donated their time, talent and expertise to provide delicious Thanksgiving pies to Pie in the Sky, with each pie baked providing a weeks’ worth of meals.

“Our restaurant and catering bakers are our secret ingredient. We could not do what we do without them,” said Waters.

This November, purchase a delicious pie for $28 by Saturday, November 22, 2014 and pick it up on Wednesday, November 26th at over 90 locations throughout Massachusetts. Pies are available at the specified pick up location and are available to “gift” to someone else. To order a pie or make a donation, visit www.pieinthesky.org or call (617) 522-7777.

About Community Servings

Community Servings is a not‐for‐profit food and nutrition program providing services throughout Massachusetts to individuals and families living with critical and chronic illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS, any form of Cancer, MS, Lou Gehrig’s disease and over 30 others. We provide our 1,525 clients, their dependent families, and caregivers with appealing, nutritious meals, lunch, dinner & a snack each day and send the message to those in greatest need that someone cares. Our goals are to help our clients maintain their health and dignity and preserve the integrity of their families through free, culturally appropriate, home‐delivered meals, nutrition education, and other community programs. To learn more, visit www.servings.org.