March 28, 2024

Easy as pie: Homemade desserts fundraiser promotes elderly nutrition services

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Exactly 49 freshly baked pies were hand delivered to and put on display Tuesday morning inside the Jasper County Courthouse. By the time the board of supervisors finished its meeting and subsequent work session, only five pies remained.

Each one had been sold by volunteers of Jasper County Elderly Nutrition as part of the program’s Piece of Pie fundraiser, which raised approximately $760 by the time every pie left the courthouse. Elderly nutrition program Director Kelli Van Manen said volunteers usually sell out of pies, and Tuesday was no exception.

"They were all gone," Van Manen said. "Sometimes we end up with a few pies that we bring back here (at the Jasper County Community Center) and then our clients will buy them the next day. They did have one left, and while they were cleaning up somebody came and bought it, so that was great!"

Acknowledging it costs a lot more to operate the program and its home-delivered and on-site meal services than the amount collected by the Piece of Pie volunteers, Van Manen said what the fundraiser and its workers do best is inform the public of the program’s importance to Jasper County residents, garnering support in the process.

“I don’t think people really think about our program unless they have a loved one that needs our program, so it’s a good way just to get some PR,” Van Manen said.

A handful of other pies, she added, were also sold before volunteers set up at the courthouse. The desserts were priced at $12 per pie or $2.50 per piece. Volunteers Jackie Goodwin, Ron Carpenter and Cal Holmquist said most folks purchased “the whole thing” rather than individual slices of cherry, pecan and apple pies, as well as Goodwin’s two mixed berry pies she home-baked for the fundraiser.

There might have been an even 50 pies up or sale at the courthouse, but Goodwin said her husband was a tad bit jealous everyone else was getting whole pies for themselves.

“So that 50th pie is still at home,” Goodwin said with a laugh.

Volunteers like Carpenter and Holmquist worked in shifts until the early afternoon or at least until “every pie was gone.” Two tables were full of the baked delights. Goodwin noticed the cherry pies were easily the most popular amongst courthouse visitors.

Some people even requested new flavors for next year’s Piece of Pie fundraiser, which began in 2011. Goodwin said Jasper County residents lamented the lack of peach, gooseberry and raisin pies available this year. So, now, they’re on order for the next pie-focused fundraiser.

All the while spreading the word about elderly nutrition. One slice at a time.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com