When Sarah Fertig heard Sen. Elizabeth Warren argue that no one becomes wealthy in isolation -- and urge wealthy Americans to give back so that others might succeed -- it struck a chord.
At first, the 28-year-old Michigan native took to her Facebook page, sharing her own metaphor in support of Warren's (D-Mass.) message. "I said, 'I made a pie, but I didn't plant the apple trees; I didn't milk the cow or churn the butter; I didn't harvest the wheat; I didn't build the grocery store. All these other people had to work really hard before I could even assemble the pie,'" Fertig told The Huffington Post. "I don't have the right to say this is my pie, and no one else can have any."
She hit "post" and then sat thinking about what she could do beyond "arguing with people on the Internet." Fertig bought three apple pies, brought them to Ann Arbor's Liberty Plaza, and gave them away, slice by slice. Roughly half went to homeless men and women who spend time in the park; the rest went to people passing by on their way to class, dinner or an event. Fertig returned the following week, and the week after. Before she knew it, she and her fiancé, Chris Kovac, were in the plaza every Wednesday for 18 straight weeks, giving away pie.
Eventually, the couple decided to take "Pie it Forward" on the road, quitting their jobs -- Fertig worked at a homeless shelter, and Kovac was a butcher at a Sam's Club -- and embarking on a cross-country, 30-city tour. The tour, which kicked off in March 2013 and ended in September, was supported primarily by small donations -- $10 here, $25 there, collected on PayPal and in-person. The couple used their tax refund checks to help pay for gas and materials; went to farmers markets to ask for cosmetically undesirable fruit; accepted donations of flour, sugar and butter; and stayed with hosts in various cities.
Fertig began with store-bought pies, but by the third tour stop, started making them from scratch. "Pie crust, I thought, was this arcane secret that had to be handed down from grandmother to granddaughter," she laughed. "But it turns out, you can just learn it in a book."
Apple pie is their standby because it's iconic, Fertig said, but they've also made cherry, blueberry, peach, peanut butter cream and banana cream. "Most bizarre of all, I think, was the cantaloupe pie we made in Birmingham, Alabama," she said. "You had to really like cantaloupe."
By tour's end, the couple had given out more than 250 pies. "No matter what somebody looked like, no matter what they were wearing, they could get a free slice," Fertig said.
Now, the pair is back in Ann Arbor, serving pie in Liberty Plaza every Wednesday. They are working toward securing 501(c)(3) status for Pie it Forward, and saving up for a donation-based food truck that will serve complete meals, whether shoppers are able to pay 10 cents or $10. They've also expanded their menu, and are now offering hearty shepherd's pies, which Fertig said are very popular. "If you live on the street, it's a lot easier to get refined carbohydrates and sugar than it is to get meat and vegetables and other forms of protein," she said.
But Fertig said she stands by her sweeter offerings. "Pie is iconic, pie brings up happy memories, and it's an indulgence," she said. "Especially for people who live on the street, it's important to have an occasional treat -- one that has dignity and meaning to it."
"We're just doing this for kindness and generosity, trying to inspire people to help one another out," Fertig continued, adding that while the concept was politically inspired, Pie it Forward is not affiliated with any one party. "There's no agenda other than people should be nicer to each other."
Fertig, Kovac and their border collie, Shalosh -- three-fourths of a team that also includes a baking assistant.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.