Pick up your piece of the pie - or actually, the whole pie - when The Home on Ferdinand hosts its second annual pie auction. The event will be held on Friday, Feb. 10, at Landis Hall in the Junction Center, 1875 Junction Road, Manheim. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and a silent auction will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The pie auction will begin at 7 p.m.

"It's a really fun night. It's something unique and different," said Nicole Milburn, house director for The Home on Ferdinand. "It's fun to see the creativity of the community and the people who made the pies, and it's really fun to watch how much these pies go for."

Pies are made and donated by local churches and community members. Proceeds from the pie auction and the silent auction - which will include gift cards, baked goods and other items from local businesses - will be used to fund programming at The Home on Ferdinand, a project of Manheim Community Life Group. The event will also feature Auntie Anne's pretzels and Peters' Barbecue pork dinners for purchase.

The Home on Ferdinand opened in November of 2021 and provides transitional housing for women and children in need. Part of the program at the pie auction will include an update on the home's progress since it opened.

"We are growing," Milburn stated. "We started with six rooms for the women, and we've been able to grow to make seven rooms." She added that The Home on Ferdinand receives on average four calls a week from people looking to move in.

At the pie auction, one of the home's former residents will speak about her experience at The Home on Ferdinand. "She's going to share her story, and then I'm going to talk about how God has moved through the home, and I'll be sharing stories of different ladies as well as updating everyone on our impact and mission," Milburn remarked.

She said the home has exceeded expectations, providing stability and routine for the families to live in a safe place. "We've just seen so many beautiful relationships form from the home," Milburn said. "The ladies really lean on each other. They have been a source of light to each other just as much as we are to them." Family game nights are held regularly at the home, and one of the residents has taught some of the other mothers how to cook, Milburn noted, adding, "They have been sharing their gifts and their talents with each other. The relationships developing between the women has been an inspiring thing to watch."

Proceeds from the pie auction will also be used to help Manheim Community Life Group expand its mission in the community. "The Home on Ferdinand is our first branch off of the group, and we want to continue to grow the home," Milburn said. "The possibilities are endless of what we want to do."

For more information on the pie auction, visit Manheim Community Life Group's Facebook or Instagram page or contact Janelle Wenger at janellewenger93@gmail.com.