Homelessness has long been a systemic issue, and many people in the country continue to struggle to access housing, food, and basic necessities, as well as crucial resources.
Fortunately, there are some businesses working to bridge that gap and take care of their community members in need. One Louisiana restaurant decided to step up and do their part, hopefully inspiring others to follow suit.
As WBRZ reported, Papi’s Mexican Cuisine in Denham Springs has developed quite the impressive system. People can come into the restaurant, grab a pre-paid ticket off the wall, and enjoy a free meal with no questions asked.
The idea is for people from all walks of life to come in and not feel ashamed for being unable to afford a good meal otherwise.
Each ticket posted to the wall has been paid for by a previous customer. When the restaurant first began their prepaid ticket system, only a few people utilized it. However, once word got out, there were as many as 60 people grabbing a ticket for a meal.
Owner Alejandro Ortiz said he wanted people to be able to buy a meal for those in need, and then add their meal ticket to the wall for others to redeem.
After his house was flooded in 2016, Ortiz lost everything and found himself inexplicably living a life full of uncertainties.
“I didn’t have money to eat, and I’m like wow, I never felt like that before," he told WFAB.
He sold everything he had to re-open his restaurant, and never forgot how vulnerable he felt when he had little to nothing. He never wanted anyone to feel the way he did, so he decided to do something about that.
After seeing what Ortiz did, many people became inspired to do what they can to help the most vulnerable members of their community. The restaurant's story was posted on Reddit where it caught even more attention, and people have given it a lot of positive feedback.
Some have even offered up suggestions on how the system can be improved:
"I think that’s a better way to do it. There’s some shame in having to grab the paper from the wall in front of paying customers. At least there would be for me. I would appreciate a lower key way of informing the restaurant I couldn’t afford to eat."
We are hoping that other individuals and businesses use their resources to help, too. Let us know what you think of this story in the comments and if this restaurant's story inspired you.
