Mama’s Pies Thanksgiving Bake Sale Returns
As the seasons change and cooler weather settles in, that can only mean one thing–it’s time for Mama’s Pies Thanksgiving Bake Sale, back for its 21st year.
A long-standing San Diego tradition hosted by the nonprofit Mama’s Kitchen, the Mama’s Pies bake sale raises critical funds for the organization, which is one of the founding members of the Food is Medicine Coalition. Mama’s Kitchen is the only San Diego County-accredited medically tailored meal provider supporting San Diegans facing malnutrition due to critical illnesses like HIV, cancer, congestive heart failure, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Each Thanksgiving pie purchased funds 12 healthy holiday meals for a critically ill San Diegan in need. Pies come in a variety of flavors and are just $35 each. They are currently available for purchase until Friday, Nov. 21, or until pies sell out at MamasPies.org.
“With federal funding cuts, an ongoing government shutdown, and the overall cost of living steadily increasing, our no-cost medically tailored meal deliveries are becoming an essential service more heavily relied upon than ever before,” says Eva Matthews, CEO, Mama’s Kitchen. “All the proceeds from Mama’s Pies stay within San Diego and go directly to supporting your own neighbors, friends, and loved ones. Each pie helps ensure that nobody loses access to our services. Plus, a little pie will definitely help make this year a little bit smoother and sweeter.”
How to Participate in Mama’s Pies: Buy, Sell, or Volunteer
Buyers begin by visiting mamaspies.org to choose between pumpkin, traditional apple, pecan, and Dutch apple at $35 per pie. The purchase price supports the home delivery of 12 medically tailored meals. This year also sees the return of the mystery pie flavor, which was initially a one-time-only offering to celebrate last year’s 20th anniversary milestone, but Mama’s Kitchen has brought the option back due to popular demand.
Amid federal funding disruptions that have already resulted in notification of $350,000 in funding losses for Mama’s Kitchen this year alone, there are more than 400,000 meals and 1,300 critically ill San Diegans at risk moving forward. The sale of just one pie is enough for Mama’s Kitchen to fund the cooking, preparing, and delivering of 12 medically tailored meals, meaning every pie sold eases the burden of the lost funding.
Pie buyers can pick up their orders from one of nine pickup sites across the county on Wednesday, Nov. 26 — just in time for Thanksgiving Day. Pickup sites can be found at MamasPies.org/pickup-sites.
Alongside the community members who buy and sell the pies, dozens of San Diego chefs, caterers, bakers, and restaurateurs will donate their time and talent to bake thousands of Thanksgiving pies, all in support of Mama’s Kitchen. The work of these community volunteers is crucial to the success of Mama’s Pies and directly leads to more funds to help Mama’s Kitchen deliver breakfast, lunch, and dinner to people who are mentally or physically unable to prepare their meals due to a critical illness.
Mama’s Pies 2025 features more than 12 San Diego-based culinary professionals donating their time and talent to baking delicious pies for Mama’s Kitchen’s bake sale. Confirmed culinary partners for this year include:
- Sycuan Casino Resort
- Behind the Scenes Catering
- Starry Lane Bakery
- Sugar & Scribe
- Bahia Resort Hotel
- Grand Hyatt San Diego
- Hyatt Regency La Jolla
- The San Diego Convention Center
- Travel & Leisure Co.
- MIHO Catering Co.
- Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa
- The Wild Thyme Company Catering & Events
- Mielimon Bakery
Though many bakers have already signed up to supply pies for this year’s fundraiser, Mama’s Kitchen could always use more. Those interested in becoming a pie supplier or baker for Mama’s Pies Thanksgiving Bake Sale can contact Jenna Novotny at jenna@mamaskitchen.org.
If you’re traveling this holiday or not in need of a pie, you can still make a difference by simply donating directly to the “Holiday Feast” fund. Just visit MamasPies.org/shopping-cart and select the “Holiday Feast” option, which still directly funds 12 meal deliveries–no pie involved!
Mama’s Pies Thanksgiving Bake Sale would not be possible without the support of generous sponsors including Sycuan Casino Resort, Behind the Scenes Catering, Shamrock Foods, Scatena Daniels Communications, and more. If you are interested in supporting Mama’s Pies as a sponsor, please contact Jenna Novotny at Jenna@mamaskitchen.org.
Since 2005, Mama’s Pies Thanksgiving Bake Sale has brought thousands of San Diegans together to buy and sell pies, all in support of Mama’s Kitchen’s mission to deliver medically tailored meals to those in need at no cost. Over the last two decades, the annual bake sale has become a San Diego staple, with more than 90,000 pies being sold to raise more than $2.4 million.
Category: Donations, Events, Food, Holidays, Local News, Nonprofit, Volunteers
