Teachers, janitors and other employees in Keizer schools received a special delivery recently.
On Wednesday, April 8, volunteers delivered over 6,000 strawberry-rhubarb pies to 90 Salem-Keizer School District locations as part of a project spearheaded by the Salem Leadership Foundation. Organizers aimed to deliver a pie to every district employee.
“The goal is just to let the Salem-Keizer School District employees know that the community supports them,” said Jennifer Palanuk, neighborhood partnership teams coordinator and Keizer Neighborhood Connector with the foundation.
Keizer schools each received between 45 and 190 pies, with Clear Lake Elementary School receiving the fewest and McNary High School receiving the most. Staffing levels determined the number, Palanuk said.
The pies included 4,180 donated by the Willamette Valley Pie Company and another 2,000 bought at a discounted price. Jackie Franke, a volunteer with the foundation who led fundraising for the project, said the company donated $77,000 worth of pies.
Franke helped raise $10,000 to cover the cost of the rest of the pies sold to them at $5 a pie.
In past years Franke said $30,000 in donations were needed for the project, but less money was needed this year because of the donated pies.
Palanuk said this is at least the third year pies were delivered to school district staff. She said it started as students and teachers returned to school following the COVID-19 pandemic, and “everyone was struggling to get back into the rhythm” of school.
Organizers wanted to show their support for the school employees, she said.
Franke said she is “thrilled” with the response from teachers.
“Everybody wants to feel appreciated when they go to work. And sometimes, teachers don’t feel that way, at least they don’t every day,” Franke said. “So this project is one that gives back.”
Kelsey Harris, principal at Kennedy Elementary School, said school employees are grateful for the support.
“I think our schools are such a reflection of our community,” Harris said “And when we have an outpouring of community support, we feel that.”
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