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Assistance League pot pies distributed today, Saturday

T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM — Assistance League of Marshalltown member Laura Eilers scoops up some stuffing to place in crusts for the league’s annual chicken pot pie fundraiser. In addition to peas and carrots, she also placed onions and chicken.
The Assistance League of Marshalltown has created a slick, well-oiled chicken pot pie machine, which assembled the pies yesterday at the First Presbyterian Church. Dozens of women are assigned specific tasks to fulfill as pies go down the line. Some prepare the crusts, some place the stuffing in the crusts and more will top the pie with another crust and crimp the edges together. Within 18 minutes, the members had finished and boxed 38 pies.
Assistance League of Marshalltown members Lori Wignall and Michelle Brown separate frozen crusts for the mini chicken pot pies the league is offering for the first time. Brown said it takes roughly two and a half hours for the crusts to thaw.

The popular handmade Assistance League of Marshalltown chicken pot pies are back, and the league has developed a well-oiled machine when it comes to putting the pies together.

Gathering in the First Presbyterian Church yesterday morning, dozens of women put on hair nets, aprons and laid plastic over the floor. They lined up at tables, which had spaces dedicated to duties. Some women were preparing the flaky pie crusts, others were placing the stuffing ingredients in the crusts. Members were laying another crust on top of the filling and crimping the edges together and more boxed the completed pies. Within 18 minutes, they had completed and boxed 38 pies.

League Chairman Megan Bantz said they prepared 1,288 pies, including mini ones, which were a brand new offer this year.

“The last couple years, we’ve been done in four hours,” she said. “This year was a little different because we’re including the small pies. It may take a little bit longer.”

Bantz said they received 358 orders of small pies, which included two pies per order, and 462 orders of the 10-inch pies. The rest of the 1,288 total is to be sold today and tomorrow on a first-come, first-serve basis during their scheduled distribution times.

“So, if people didn’t get their orders in, we will have a small quantity on hand that they can buy the day of,” she said. “Whatever we don’t sell, we will give to the Emergency Food Box.”

Customers who order chicken pot pies from the Assistance League can pick them up today from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the First Presbyterian Church. For people who wish to purchase pies at the distribution times, the price is $10 for a mini. For a big pie, the cost is $20.

“The money raised will go back into the community,” Bantz said. “Then we will meet as a group and approve requests. It all goes back to the community.”

PIE DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION:

Where: First Presbyterian Church

Address: 101 S. Center St.

Dates and times: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. today; and 8:30 a.m. to noon tomorrow

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.

Starting at $4.38/week.

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