NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. — Palm Beach County residents can take one Thanksgiving task off their list while helping feed a neighbor in need through Pie It Forward, a fundraiser benefiting Meals on Wheels of the Palm Beaches.
Meals on Wheels Special Events Director Maura Sartory said local chefs from restaurants and country clubs donate pies that are sold through the campaign. Proceeds from each pie sold help feed a senior for one week.
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"We sell them online now through Nov. 18, and each pie we sell is available for pickup that Tuesday of Thanksgiving week," Sartory said. "You get a pie and the proceeds feed a senior for a week."
The campaign includes traditional Thanksgiving favorites such as pumpkin, pecan and apple pies, along with key lime pies.
Orders are available through Nov. 18, although organizers say pies can sell out before the deadline.
A pie without the pie
People who will be traveling for Thanksgiving or simply don't need another dessert can still participate.
Sartory said Pie It Forward offers a virtual pie, which allows people to make a donation without receiving a physical pie.
"A lot of people travel during the holidays, so they can still support," Sartory said. "We have a way they can buy a virtual pie, which is simply a donation. No physical pie is received, and you feed a senior for a week."
And there is one additional benefit to the virtual version.
When WPTV's T.A. Walker asked Sartory how many calories were in a virtual pie, her answer was simple: "Zero."
Students and Girl Scouts pitch in
The community effort extends beyond the chefs making the pies.
Students from the Palm Beach School for Autism help assemble the boxes used for the fundraiser.
"Our students train in a number of Duffy's restaurants, and we're helping Meals on Wheels, kind of putting the boxes together and just helping this great cause," Patrick Pierre Jr. said.
Girl Scouts are also lending a hand by decorating boxes with Thanksgiving messages for the people who receive them.
Melinda Glasco of Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida said the project is a natural fit with the organization's mission.
"Part of the Girl Scout mission is making the world a better place, and this is a great way to partner with some amazing organizations and do just that," Glasco said.
The Girl Scouts earn a special Meals on Wheels patch for participating in the assembly.
Duffy's continues a community tradition
Duffy's Sports Grill is contributing 300 pies to the effort this year and has supported Pie It Forward since its early years.
Geri Emmett said the Duffy's Foundation's participation also carries personal meaning because of her late husband, Paul Emmett.
"He was always community-minded," Emmett said. "My late husband, Paul Emmett, and Duffy's has followed in those footsteps all the way along."
For families still planning their Thanksgiving meal, the approaching Nov. 18 ordering deadline creates a chance to accomplish two things at once: bring home dessert and help Meals on Wheels serve a Palm Beach County neighbor.
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