It’s hard for anyone not to have a fond memory of their favorite pizza joint – or eating pizza at all – because it’s one comfort food that makes most of us happy. It’s cheap, tasty, and easily shareable.

But there’s a pizza shop in Fargo, North Dakota that is going the extra mile when it comes to sharing. Little Caesars franchise owners Mike and Jenny Stevens started giving back to their community by feeding the homeless.

It all began in 2016 when the couple and their two adult daughters noticed a homeless man across the street from their business. He had been outside there for hours, so they decided to give him a pizza. The exchange with that extremely grateful man led the family to hand out more free pizza to others like him.

Jenny told Today that a major turning point came when Mike noticed people had been going through their shop’s dumpsters to search for scraps. So, he put up a sign at the front door that read:

“To the person going through our trash for their next meal, You’re a human being and worth more than a meal from a dumpster. Please come in during operating hours for a couple of slices of hot pizza and a cup of water at no charge. No questions asked.”

They more than delivered on that promise, giving pizzas to those in need of food. It grew into a community effort that spawned a partnership between the Stevens’ Little Caesars shop and local homeless shelters.

Each week, hundreds of pizzas are donated to area shelters. However, while this generous endeavor was taking off, Mike Stevens became ill with leukemia. He passed away after his battle with cancer in December 2017.

But the Stevens family continues to give, as Mike had no intention of ending this program. To date, they have given over 140,000 slices of pizza to their homeless neighbors. Jenny credits her husband as the reason for this undertaking and its continuation:

“He really, really pursued this. It’s a small thing that we can do to bring a big difference in their day and it’s just kept going. You have to come together to help each other out. We just do it because it seems like the right thing to do.”

To help cover the costs, – which is only $.50 per slice – the family has launched a fundraiser through GoFundMe which will go towards funding the program for next year. They hope to keep serving up these pizzas with heart as long as is possible.

In a time when we’re seeing some restaurants, cafés, and other eateries be picky about who they want to sit down in their seats, there are also some who don’t have many conditions. With so much food from restaurants and grocery stores that goes to waste, why not donate it?

Are you moved by what the Stevens family is doing in their community? Would you do the same if you were in their position? Do you know of a similar program where you live?