Pella Pantry Food Booth's Famous Pies Promote The Wellbeing Of Richland County

The Pella Lutheran Church, Sidney, has been operating Pella's Pantry food booth at Richland County Fair since the 1980s, using it as a fellowship and fundraising opportunity in their congregation.

The Pella Lutheran Church purchased the food booth from the Sweet Adeline Club in the 1980s and has been benefiting community nonprofits ever since. 

The Pella Pantry food booth is known for its famous pies; members of the congregation "holy rollers" roll out and bake around 300 pies in the span of four days. The pies are all made from scratch, hand-rolled and double-crusted. The holy rollers mainly consist of the ladies of the congregation, but some of the men help roll out with the pie crusts too.

"It takes a whole congregation to make and deliver pies to and from the church, clean and prepare the booth, and work the shifts. Working at the pantry is a great chance to be in fellowship with other members," said Becky Reidle, coordinator of the food booth.

The congregation makes and serves five different flavors: apple, blueberry, cherry, peach, and rhubarb. They also serve cheeseburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, ice cream sundaes, Pepsi and root beer floats, and BBQ beef sandwiches.

Through their "labor of love", they have raised funds and donated the proceeds to more than six local nonprofits. In recent years, the proceeds have benefited the local Boys & Girls Club, the Coalition Against Domestic Violence of Richland County, Matthew House, Richland County Food Bank, ROI, Upper Missouri Ministries, and Pella Quilters, who sew quilts to help people in need around the world via Lutheran World Relief.

Pella's Pantry does not consider their earnings "profits", but rather proceeds. Proceeds from the 2020 Pella Pie Sale were divided equally between "Out of the Darkness", local chapter of a suicide prevention group, Richland Opportunities Inc. and towards Pella's debt reduction campaign, "Set Free to Serve". Reidle said, "We are very much looking forward to the fair this year. Please come out, enjoy our pies, and help support the community."