The management office at Charlesview, Inc. was awash with Thanksgiving-day smells emanating from a table holding piles of pies ready to be distributed to 220 families who currently live at the new Charlesview Residences on Western Avenue.

“We liked the idea of supporting Community Servings’ annual fundraiser and, at the same time, saying Happy Thanksgiving to the people who make up the Charlesview community here,” said Jo-Ann Barbour, executive director of Charlesview, Inc.

Pie in the Sky is an annual fundraiser of Community Servings, a nonprofit food and nutrition program headquartered on Marbury Street in Boston that provides services throughout Massachusetts to individuals and families living with life-threatening illnesses. Each year the organization delivers 395,000 free, nutritious, home-style meals to 1,300 people – 95% of whom live at or below the poverty level – who are too sick to cook for themselves or their families. The nonprofit also provides nutrition education, food service training and other community programs.

Since 1993, Community Servings’ Pie in the Sky fundraiser has raised $6.5 million for the nonprofit’s programs and services. Each pie, for the cost of $25 to the buyer, provides a week’s worth of hearty home-delivered meals to a Community Serving’s client and a tasty Thanksgiving treat to the lucky recipient.

The Charlesview Residences officially opened its doors in July 2013. It was codeveloped by Charlesview, Inc., the nonprofit developer and philanthropic organization that relocated 199 families from the outdated Charlesview Apartments at Barry’s Corner in Allston. In addition to building 240 new rental apartments, Charlesview, Inc. established the Josephine A. Fiorentino Community Center – the only community center serving this part of Allston-Brighton – open to the entire community.

“The people who live here were incredibly patient and helpful during the move from Barry’s Corner,” said Ms. Barbour. “This is one way we can say thank you and, at the same time, support Community Servings in their extraordinary efforts.”

Each November, for the Pie in the Sky event, more than 150 of Boston’s best restaurants, bakeries, caterers and hotels donate thousands of pies that over 600 volunteers then sell to family, friends and colleagues. After the pies are baked at the restaurants, they are sent to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, which is called “Pie Central,” where they are inspected for quality, then packaged for delivery to more than 100 pick-up sites in greater Boston.

The Pie in the Sky Program proves it is possible, as a Community Servings Press alert claims, that you can “have your pie and let others eat too.”

Press Release: Have your pie and let others eat too

Posted on Wednesday, December 4th, 2013