LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WKBW) — Neighbors are helping neighbors in Lockport through a new program at Papa Leo's Pizza on Main Street, allowing customers to ‘pay it forward’ and leave free pizza slices for people in need.
"We see a lot of struggling people, and it feels like those numbers have periodically grown," Scott Brown, the restaurant's manager, said. "We have people come in here all the time, and they are like, 'Hey, can we get free food? Can we get a slice of pizza? I'm really hungry.' And it's really hard as a business to just give stuff away, as much as we want to."
It's experiences like that for Brown that sparked an idea to help his neighbors in need, and that idea has since become the "Pay It Forward Pizza Slice Program.”
The program is simple. Customers donate money, either in person or through Venmo @UrFavePizza.
The money donated is tallied up and used to buy pizza slices for people in need. Anyone who is hungry can walk into the store and claim a free slice off a board by the counter.
“You can sit down and eat it here, take it to go, whatever works," store owner Kandy Greenman said.
The program has received substantial community support over the course of its first month open, with donations reaching as high as $700 in a single day.
WATCH: Lockport pizza shop launches 'pay it forward' program to help people in need
As of Wednesday morning, 280 slices of pizza were still available for people in need.
"Between my husband and the manager, we keep track of it, but it's definitely become more of a full-time job than we thought," Greenman said. "It's taken off, and we are helping a lot of people, and that's what we're here for.”
People are limited to claiming one slice per day. Slices are only available at the Lockport location.
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