'Who doesn't like pie?'

NORWALK — This is no pie in the sky idea. Ken Ganley Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Norwalk is partnering today with Mama Jo Homestyle Pies in Amherst to support essential workers. Beginning at 10:30 this morning, Ganley will distribute 250 of Mama Jo's pies (with apple, cherry and blueberry flavor choices) to faculty at Maplehurst Elementary, workers at Fisher-Titus Medical Center and members of the Norwalk police and Fire departments. Ganley manager John Decker said the idea came after he saw a CNBC news story on Mama Jo's struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic. With today's pie drive, he'll help the bakery's business and raise morale for essential workers. "They're good people," Decker said of Mama Jo's. "If I can help them out and help our community out, that's pretty cool." Decker is one of many who have supported Mama Jo's in the wake of the CNBC story, which detailed the bakery's struggle to apply for the Paycheck Protection Act. Jenna Rabosyuk, the daughter of Mama Jo's founder and owner Johanna "Mama Jo" Mann, said customers have been buying several pies at once. One woman bought 30 pies and delivered each one to people in her neighborhood. Initially, Mama Jo's was forced to lay off five of its 20 employees and cut its bakers' hours from five days per week to four. Now business has picked up enough for bakers to regain their usual hours. "I think all of us are, in a good way, overwhelmed," Rabosyuk said. "You know how cynical the world is, how grumpy people can be. When the community is coming out to support you, it's just a great reminder that America is a great community and can come together to support one another." In participating in today's pie drive, Rabosyuk is paying that spirit forward. Of the 250 pies, 32 will go to Norwalk police, 18 will go to Norwalk fire (one per person), 40 will go to Fisher-Titus workers and 120 will go to teachers at Maplehurst Elementary as part of teacher appreciation week, which lasts from May 4 to May 8. Norwalk Elementary PTO president Cindy Frankart, whose granddaughter is a first-grader at Maplehurst, has a renewed appreciation for teachers after helping her granddaughter during the pandemic. "They are amazing and they do so much," Frankart said. "With the current situation as we've had to homeschool our kids, I think we appreciate them even more." Frankart said she wishes she could do more to show her appreciation, a sentiment Rabosyuk believes is common concerning teachers and essential workers. Everyone wants to help, Rabosyuk said, but not everyone knows how. With Mama Jo's pies, Rabosyuk, Frankart and Decker hope they can make at least a small difference in the lives of the teachers and essential workers. After all, nearly everyone likes pie. "Who doesn't like pie?," Rabosyuk said. "Everyone likes pie, for the most part. "It's just a nice way to support essential workers when you really don't know how to."