Mom overwhelmed by response to 'pie project'
The phone keeps ringing at Patty and Mike Wilson’s house on Elk Ridge Road. Ever since a Nov. 13 story in the Journal Star, they never know who will be on the other end.
It might be an old friend, someone they haven’t seen for a while, who read about Patty baking pies to raise money to build a house for Charlie. It might be a stranger who wants to buy one of those pies. It might be a mom or a dad who has a child with a disability, too, and just wants to talk.
Tuesday night when the phone rings, it’s a friend of Patty’s, asking how long to bake the apple pies she just took home. And then it’s Bob — Aunt Julie’s neighbor — calling to ask how he can help.
You can bake pies, Julie Hofts tells him. Come on over. They have 200 pies to bake by morning.
It’s 10 o’clock. Charlie’s in bed and pies are everywhere. The more pies the merrier.
Charlie’s big sister Emily is here, swirling topping on cherry cream pies. Her friend Mindy just stopped by to pick up some pies. An hour later she’s still here, filling pie shells with apples and sugary cinnamon.
When the story ran, Patty had raised nearly $7,000 for the nonprofit organization they’d started to build a special house for Charlie and other young people with disabilities.
She hasn’t had time to see how much they have now, but it’s thousands more.
Other good things have happened.
A builder called and volunteered to build the house for cost. An excavator called and said he’d dig the basement for nothing. Some people have simply mailed checks. No pie needed, they say. Just want to help.
Tuesday, someone from Tina’s Cafe on South Street stopped at the hair salon Patty owns and dropped off four home-baked pies to sell.
People come in off the street now, looking for pies.
They got so busy one of their regulars volunteered to sit behind the counter and sell pies.
Earlier Tuesday, Ruth Whiteside is at the salon. She holds the door open while a woman loads 14 pies into the hatchback of her Nissan.
“Julie does my husband’s hair,” Lisa Herbert says, “so he decided to give his employees each a pie.”
She holds the hatchback up and the light shines on rows of apple, peach and cherry.
“My car is going to smell awesome.”
A few minutes later, Charlie shows up with his grandma, Fern Hofts, and Lisa Beed, one of his caregivers. Mike is on his way. Julie called them earlier in the day to tell them about a surprise.
An old family friend had called. He’d read Charlie’s story in the paper. He and his wife were coming to town from Elwood to see Patty. Everyone but Patty knows.
Jim and Sharri Baldonado walk in the salon. Patty hugs them both. She hasn’t seen them since her brother Fred’s funeral, four years ago.
Are you in town for something?
Just to buy pies.
Well, we have lots of pies, Patty says.
Jim wants to know how pie sales are going. Good, Patty tells him. Really good. She tells him how generous people have been and how many pies there are left to bake tonight.
How are you going to get that all done?
I’m not sure.
That’s when Jim says he has something for them A check for Mike and one for Patty.
Mike’s eyes get red. Each check is for $2,500.
Everyone hugs.
Behind the counter, Ruth wipes her eyes. “Thank you very much,” Patty says.
She leans over Charlie’s wheelchair. “You knew and you didn’t tell me? You’re supposed to tell me everything.”
They thank Jim and Sharri again.
They wanted to do it, Jim says. “You’ve always been such good friends. You’ve always included us.”
Thanksgiving is Thursday, Mike says. You’re welcome to come. Just one thing.
“Bring your own pies.”
Reach Cindy Lange-Kubick at 473-7218 or clangekubick@journalstar.com.
How to help, eat
* To order pies or for more information on The Charlie M. Wilson Replacement Home Inc., call 489-6549 or 421-3472. A limited number of pies are available daily at The Turning Point, 2131 Winthrop Road.
* A fundraiser will be held for Charlie Wilson at Savannah Pines, 3900 Pine Lake Road., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 3.
* Anne Bremer, program coordinator, will celebrate her 55th birthday with food and musical guests Mac McCune, Dorothy Applebee and friends. In lieu of gifts, she is requesting donations of “55 cents to $55 million” for Charlie. Pies will be available.
It might be an old friend, someone they haven’t seen for a while, who read about Patty baking pies to raise money to build a house for Charlie. It might be a stranger who wants to buy one of those pies. It might be a mom or a dad who has a child with a disability, too, and just wants to talk.
Tuesday night when the phone rings, it’s a friend of Patty’s, asking how long to bake the apple pies she just took home. And then it’s Bob — Aunt Julie’s neighbor — calling to ask how he can help.
You can bake pies, Julie Hofts tells him. Come on over. They have 200 pies to bake by morning.
It’s 10 o’clock. Charlie’s in bed and pies are everywhere. The more pies the merrier.
Charlie’s big sister Emily is here, swirling topping on cherry cream pies. Her friend Mindy just stopped by to pick up some pies. An hour later she’s still here, filling pie shells with apples and sugary cinnamon.
When the story ran, Patty had raised nearly $7,000 for the nonprofit organization they’d started to build a special house for Charlie and other young people with disabilities.
She hasn’t had time to see how much they have now, but it’s thousands more.
Other good things have happened.
A builder called and volunteered to build the house for cost. An excavator called and said he’d dig the basement for nothing. Some people have simply mailed checks. No pie needed, they say. Just want to help.
Tuesday, someone from Tina’s Cafe on South Street stopped at the hair salon Patty owns and dropped off four home-baked pies to sell.
People come in off the street now, looking for pies.
They got so busy one of their regulars volunteered to sit behind the counter and sell pies.
Earlier Tuesday, Ruth Whiteside is at the salon. She holds the door open while a woman loads 14 pies into the hatchback of her Nissan.
“Julie does my husband’s hair,” Lisa Herbert says, “so he decided to give his employees each a pie.”
She holds the hatchback up and the light shines on rows of apple, peach and cherry.
“My car is going to smell awesome.”
A few minutes later, Charlie shows up with his grandma, Fern Hofts, and Lisa Beed, one of his caregivers. Mike is on his way. Julie called them earlier in the day to tell them about a surprise.
An old family friend had called. He’d read Charlie’s story in the paper. He and his wife were coming to town from Elwood to see Patty. Everyone but Patty knows.
Jim and Sharri Baldonado walk in the salon. Patty hugs them both. She hasn’t seen them since her brother Fred’s funeral, four years ago.
Are you in town for something?
Just to buy pies.
Well, we have lots of pies, Patty says.
Jim wants to know how pie sales are going. Good, Patty tells him. Really good. She tells him how generous people have been and how many pies there are left to bake tonight.
How are you going to get that all done?
I’m not sure.
That’s when Jim says he has something for them A check for Mike and one for Patty.
Mike’s eyes get red. Each check is for $2,500.
Everyone hugs.
Behind the counter, Ruth wipes her eyes. “Thank you very much,” Patty says.
She leans over Charlie’s wheelchair. “You knew and you didn’t tell me? You’re supposed to tell me everything.”
They thank Jim and Sharri again.
They wanted to do it, Jim says. “You’ve always been such good friends. You’ve always included us.”
Thanksgiving is Thursday, Mike says. You’re welcome to come. Just one thing.
“Bring your own pies.”
Reach Cindy Lange-Kubick at 473-7218 or clangekubick@journalstar.com.
How to help, eat
* To order pies or for more information on The Charlie M. Wilson Replacement Home Inc., call 489-6549 or 421-3472. A limited number of pies are available daily at The Turning Point, 2131 Winthrop Road.
* A fundraiser will be held for Charlie Wilson at Savannah Pines, 3900 Pine Lake Road., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 3.
* Anne Bremer, program coordinator, will celebrate her 55th birthday with food and musical guests Mac McCune, Dorothy Applebee and friends. In lieu of gifts, she is requesting donations of “55 cents to $55 million” for Charlie. Pies will be available.
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