- Italian Village Pizza has been a staple in the Lansing Mall's food court for over 10 years, and now they are giving back
- In January, the owner of Italian Village decided to begin a Pay-it-Forward wall where community members can come in a pre-pay for a meal for a person in need
- In just a short time, this initiative has taken off and has grabbed the attention of not only the community but also other businesses.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Italian Village Pizza, along with the rest of the Lansing Mall food court, is giving back and paying it forward with its newest initiative that has gotten wide support from the community.
After spending nearly 10 years in the Lansing Mall... Ryan Marquardt knows the community and it's needs very well
"I say hi to people that walk by the counter, and they've just expressed to me, hey, I'm really hungry, and I'm not doing too well," said Marquardt, owner of Italian Village Pizza
To combat that... Ryan came up with an idea
"I was trying to figure out a way where I can deliver food to the homeless shelters or the hotels that they're staying at, but that just really wasn't working out for me, so I decided what's a way I can get them fresh food straight from the oven?" he said.
From there, the Pay It Forward initiative was born... Providing a slice of pizza and a drink for those in need paid for by the community
"I helped design a beautiful, beautiful graphic and strategy to get its attention, and it turned into all this!!" said Elias Ferreyra
Just a month in, other restaurants in the mall's food court have joined the movement, and the community response has been.....
"Crazy..... People walk up here and give 20 dollars, saying, hey, we just want to do the pay it forward, however many meals that will cover... I've had someone donate 300 dollars, which was our largest donation," Ryan said.
"If you help at one end, it helps the whole thing. Everyone wins! Peace and love is the answer, and that's alright!!" Ferreyra said
Italian Village Pizza doesn't plan on stopping this initiative anytime soon and encourages anyone in need to stop by the Lansing Mall food court.
Want to see more local news?
Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
