Easy as pie: Meals on Wheel Rowan launches annual Thanksgiving pie sale

Published 12:00 am Sunday, November 17, 2024

In 2021, Meals on Wheels Rowan launched its first-ever Feed a Senior, Easy as Pie Sale. They sold over 900 pies to provide home-delivered meals for participants who could not contribute to the cost of their meals. Since 2021, the fundraiser has raised over $55,000 for the Home-Delivered Meals Program. 

The Feed a Senior, Easy as Pie Sale was created in 2021 after Meals on Wheels faced an unexpected 70 percent increase in meal prices due to rising food costs. To overcome this challenge, the fundraising team got creative. 

“We realized that we would have to increase our fundraising efforts to continue providing high-quality meals and meet the increased demand for home-delivered meals,” Marketing and Development Director Alexandra Fisher said. “A Thanksgiving Pie Sale seemed like the perfect fit. Pie sale customers can contribute to Meals on Wheels and enjoy a famous, freshly baked K&W pie.”

Meals on Wheels Rowan supports over 355 homebound seniors each month, delivering home-delivered meals and groceries across Rowan County. Home-Delivered Meals participants must be at least 60 years old, homebound, and unable to prepare their own nutritious meals. The meal program cost is $13 per meal and currently, 97 percent of their participants receive meal subsidies ranging from 20 percent to 70 percent of the meal program cost. Meals on Wheels Rowan is committed to providing free meals to 30 percent of their participants who cannot afford to contribute to the cost of their meals. 

The Feed a Senior, Easy as Pie Sale could not have come at a better time. As of Nov. 4, Meals on Wheels is serving 40 additional clients from the Mobile Meals program, formerly based at Unity United Methodist Church in Kannapolis.

“We committed to serving all Mobile Meals participants free of charge for six months,” Executive Director Cindy Fink said. “We welcome this challenge of serving additional individuals, and we hope to continue to expand our outreach into Rowan County.”

“Our goal is to sell 750 pies to raise $15,000, which will provide 750 free meals to our most vulnerable seniors,” Fisher said. “With the addition of 40 new clients this month, we are serving more people than ever. We are grateful for the generous support of the Rowan County community and hope that people will continue to support our homebound seniors by purchasing a pie this Thanksgiving.”

Pies are $20 each and baked fresh by K&W Cafeteria. Choose from pecan, chocolate, or pumpkin pie. orders of five or more pies come with gift tags and ribbons, ready for you to give as a gift.

“These pies also make the perfect gift for friends, family, coworkers, caregivers, neighbors and loved ones,” Fink said. “Purchase a K&W pie as a special thank-you for all the folks you are grateful to have in your life. Or purchase pies to be delivered to local emergency responders, fire, police, and sheriff’s departments.”

Meals on Wheels Board President Kevin Pruitt added, “What better way to support our homebound seniors than buying delicious pies for Thanksgiving?”

Order and pay for your pies by Nov. 22 at www.mowrowan.org/pie-sale or call 704-633-0352. Pies will be available for pick-up from Nov. 25 -27 at the following locations: the Meals on Wheels Rowan Office, Salisbury; Mt. Zion United Church of Christ, China Grove; or Shiloh United Methodist Church, Granite Quarry.

For more information, go to www.mowrowan.org/pie-sale