Where There’s Pie, There’s Community!

Sweetening the neighborhood with a Pie Party!

Community Coordinator Heather Briggs once owned and operated the pie truck Gold Star Pies, so it’s not surprising that the kind of neighborhood gathering she likes to host involves inviting her neighbors to meet at the park TO EAT PIE!.

“Pie is a food that is made for sharing. It creates community simply by existing. If you have a pie to share, you’re gonna find yourself surrounded by friends in no time,” she says.

For the recent Pie Day at the Park, Briggs teamed up with some neighbors from a couple of blocks away who have also been gathering around pie. Christina, Lydia, and Heather made an invitation and walked the neighborhood to hand-deliver to everyone on the block. The ask was simple and easy: bring a pie to the North Shooks Run Park at 3 pm on Nov 8th. They set a table, brought some plates and forks, and the pies rolled in. Lots of fruit pies with gorgeous decorated tops, some savory dishes with puff pastry, and even a cake. About 30 neighbors joined to enjoy the homemade creations of others and meet some new people. Several folks new to the neighborhood came out, and many commented that they wished more gatherings happened on their street.

“Hosting doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive,” says Briggs. “It can be as easy as asking your neighbors to meet you outside. Like a throwback to childhood when we asked if our friends could come out and play. And snacks are always good.”

This is what Heather loves about her job with Hey Neighbor: encouraging and helping others to make connections, build relationships and create change in their communities. She believes pie parties in parks all across the city would lead to sweet change and delicious neighborhoods.

Do you want to host a gathering? Check out Hey Neighbor’s Toolkits here!