By Susan Peterson

Gazette Staff

Community Servings is an organization that provides free hot meals year-round to individuals who are homebound with AIDS and their families. This year, for the first time, Harvard University Dining Services is involved with Community Servings' Pie in the Sky program, an effort to raise money for the meals that are served. More than 100 of the Boston area's best restaurants, caterers, and chefs provide the homemade gourmet pies that are sold by volunteers.

Not only is it the first time Dining Services is involved, but it is the first time the Harvard Bakery is making pies -- 500 of them -- from scratch. Some of Dining Services' food suppliers provided the ingredients.

"We usually buy the pies we serve," said Michael Miller, campus executive chef and assistant director of Dining Services, "but this is something we thought we could do, and we're very excited about it. The Harvard Bakery has been making the pie shells all week, and volunteers will be filling, baking, and boxing them on Sunday."

Besides Harvard, other schools are also involved this year, including M.I.T., Boston University, and Newbury College.

With a goal of selling 8,000 donated pies from the various restaurants and chefs, Community Servings hopes to raise $100,000. Last year's total of $78,000 provided more than 19,000 free meals.

Last year, Pie in the Sky organizers realized that they could have sold more pies, so this year Community Servings looked for a way to expand the effort. Restaurants such as Biba, Hamersley's Bistro, Formaggio's, Salamander, and Le Bocage, among others, were already involved. Community Servings then approached Leonard Condenzio, interim director of Harvard University Dining Services, who, along with Miller, thought it was a great idea and talked about it with the Dining Services staff. Thirty volunteers are signed up to help with the production process on Sunday.

"Harvard is the largest donor this year, with 500 pies -- and they're pecan, which is the most expensive," said Dede Ketover, executive director of Community Servings. "With the funds raised from Pie in the Sky, we hope to serve 25,000 dinners -- or 32 families -- this year."

A Growing Effort

Dining Services' role with Pie in the Sky may be new, but acting registrar Thurston Smith has been active selling pies since the program began four years ago.

Smith sold "15 or 20" pies the first year, and then asked a few friends to help. This year, he organized a network of colleagues. Together they sold 84 pies, for a total of $1,570 for the program, with some buyers donating more than the $20 cost for a pie.

"Next year, we have big plans," Smith said. "We're going to try to organize a network through e-mail to help sales grow. I'm also glad that Harvard is the largest single donor of pies this year. This effort works the way it should, because Leonard Condenzio was able to get his suppliers to donate the ingredients, and the pies are made with volunteer labor."

Smith also volunteers with Community Servings' Christmas gift basket program for individuals who are homebound or very ill with AIDS. For the last two years, he has helped put together boxes of basic necessities, such as food and clothing.

"We get a list of the needs and the circumstances, but not the name of the person, and we fill a box with items," Smith explained. "These people are in desperate need for things such as blankets, new pajamas, and perhaps a little gift as a surprise. Like the Pie in the Sky program, it's a win-win situation. Helping out is just about the best feeling I've ever had.
"I really believe in Community Servings," Smith continued. "It's a wonderful organization for people who might otherwise be forgotten."

Pies may still be ordered with a credit card by calling Community Servings at 445-7777, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m, until they are all sold.