There's something special about a homemade pie, when it's baked with love and filled with delicious goodness. With that in mind, a fundraising event will be held on Friday, Feb. 11, to benefit The Home on Ferdinand, a transitional house in Manheim for women and children in need. The event will be held at the Junction Center, 1875 Junction Road, Manheim. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

The festivities will feature a pie auction, said organizer John Hess. "We asked each of the local churches to supply a pie," he said, adding that members of the public are also welcome to contribute. "Maybe they have an exceptional baker in their congregation or a famous pie recipe." Hess encourages pie contributors to submit a story behind the pie - where it came from, who made it and any another unique details - which will be shared when the pie is auctioned off.

"We're hoping to have about 20 pies or related experiences to auction off," Hess noted. One of the experiences will be a pie-themed progressive dinner donated by the board of directors of Manheim Community Life Group, which operates The Home on Ferdinand. Peters' Barbecue will donate barbecue for 50 people as an auction item as well.

Along with the pie auction, the event will feature a silent auction of gift baskets and other donations. Food will be available for purchase, including Peters' pork barbecue dinners. Food trucks, such as Auntie Anne's pretzels and Coffeeine Unlimited, will also be on site.

The event will be an opportunity to meet the new director of The Home on Ferdinand, Nicole Milburn, and talk to members of the board. The Home on Ferdinand officially opened in November 2021 and currently has room for one woman, with a waiting list for families. "There is definitely a need in the community for a home like this," Hess noted. The Home on Ferdinand is the signature project of Manheim Community Life Group, an organization that supports people in need, from delivering meals and providing transportation to offering educational seminars.

Hess encourages any bakers to consider entering a pie in the auction, noting that baking prowess is not required. Milburn, whom Hess says is not a baker, will be contributing a pie featuring her grandmother's recipe. It will be prepared by the women currently living at The Home on Ferdinand. And Hess said the term "pie" can be loosely applied to the auction. "If a church has someone who makes really great cookies, but they don't have a pie baker, they can take those cookies, put them in a pie pan and auction off a cookie pie," he stated.

Hess said the fundraising event is meant to be a casual, informal evening, and reservations are not needed. "This isn't a gala," he said. "It's just a fun thing for people to do. Stop in, get something to eat and maybe win a pie."

The silent auction will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and the pie auction will be held at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Janelle Wenger at janellewenger93@gmail.com.