During the Thanksgiving season, EHHS culinary teachers Mr. and Mrs. John and Heather Profetto, collaborated with the East Haven Food Pantry to make and donate over 300 pies for local families.
Thanksgiving is a time when families gather around a table to share a meal and give thanks for the blessings of the past year, with a focus on expressing gratitude. Often celebrated with traditional foods like turkey and pumpkin pie, watching parades, and spending time with one another. But unfortunately, not all families get to experience this unity with their families due to the increase of prices over the years. With that, Mr. John & Mrs. Heather Profetto took it upon themselves to collaborate with the food pantry to attempt to make an astounding 700 pies to allow families to have the chance to enjoy the holiday without the burden of cost.
Every year at EHHS, the culinary department takes on its most meaningful and challenging task. Baking hundreds of pies for families who rely on the East Haven food pantry around this time of year. What started as a small community project has grown into a major operation that brings together culinary students, teachers, and hive members to provide all-hands-on-deck support.
This year, the students baked over 300 pies through their operating budget. On top of that, they helped with the larger Thanksgiving drive, where the goal was to box and organize 700 pies. It’s a lot of work for a high school program, but with the guidance of Mr. and Mrs. Profetto and the culinary department’s students, they find it to be the most rewarding experience despite the work involved.
Culinary instructor Mr. Profetto, who leads the program with his wife, explains that the food drive has become a proud tradition. When asked why they’ve stayed committed to this challenging task, he said, “We’ve been partners with the food pantry for years.” It’s important for us because we know some families in East Haven are struggling, especially around the holidays. A pie can mean more than just a dessert.¨ He added that it isn’t a simple project. “This involves Culinary I and Culinary II students. Every pie is hand-made–crust, fillings, boxing, everything. It takes days of planning and a lot of patience.¨
According to Mr.Profetto, the project is made possible because the program has a reliable operating budget and strong administrative support. “Whatever money we make goes right back into the program,” he said, “If we sell pies to former customers, that helps fund our field trips, our transportation to community events, and even our greenhouse projects. It all gets reinvested.”
Profetto also shared that part of his motivation comes from his own experience working in restaurants. “The culinary world is a place where people come together,” he said, “during COVID, people helped me and supported my business. Now I want my students to feel that same sense of community. I want them to have real-life experience so they’re prepared for the industry if they choose that path.”
The culinary students, a central piece of the culinary pathway, look a lot different during the holidays. Students moved between stations peeling apples, filling pie tins, and sealing boxes. There are a plethora of students working at a time, depending on the day, which means everyone has to stay focused.
Noelly Rodriguez , a culinary student, described the environment simply: “The culinary pathway is a special place. It’s fun, but it’s also real work.” She shared that her favorite part of the program is “definitely the cooking part. making pies, prepping the apples, browning them– it’s good practice.” But there are challenges too, a Hive Cafe member, Devon, admitted with a laugh, “I don’t love being yelled at, but that’s a part of the kitchen. We joke about it. It’s not that bad.”
Devon also shared how the experience helped them personally. “I’ve been in the culinary pathway since sophomore year,” he said, “At first, I didn’t know anything about cooking. Now I’m faster, more confident, and the repetitive stuff, especially after making pie filling over and over again.” A big part of The Hive Cafe’s purpose is to prepare students for life after high school, even if they don’t go into the food industry. Many students say they’ve gained skills they never expected.
Diego Mendez, another Hive Cafe member, explained, “This isn’t just cooking. We’re learning how to use the cash register, how to talk to customers, how to work under a boss. Not every student gets to learn that in school.” One student said, “Even if I don’t do culinary after high school, I know the skills will help me. I already feel more prepared for a job than I did before.”
The entire Thanksgiving Food Drive project is all possible due to prep. A major question Mr. and Mrs. Profetto get is how they find the time to prepare hundreds of pies while keeping up with deadlines and more. Mr. Profetto said, “We prepare for this week prior and align this project with delivery routes and times to purchase the ingredients to have everything ready with the time needed, and then to spread out the work among the culinary pathways, allowing students to work and help us while also getting community service hours due to them giving back to the community.”
While baking 300–700 pies is impressive, students say the most meaningful part isn’t the cooking—it’s what the pies represent. “We know these pies are going to families who really need them. It feels good to help people in our own community,” Profetto agreed, “When students see the impact they’re making, it changes the way they view their work,” he said, “They’re not just learning how to cook—they’re learning how to give back.” For him, one of the most rewarding parts is seeing staff and students enjoy the atmosphere, a tradition of community support that grows stronger every year.
