HOT PLATE: Sierra Vista restaurant offers pre-paid meals to those who need a meal as a way to give back

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Brady McManus, owner of Bam Bam Barbecue, is helping the community give back to one another with his pre-paid meals program. The program allows customers to purchase food and leave the receipt behind for someone to claim the items at no cost.

“We will feed everybody, as much as we can," he said. "We will never stop."

McManus started the program four weeks ago after seeing a social media post from another restaurant. Soon after announcing the idea on his social media page, he had 60 tickets. He says people locally and from outside the community has donated to the cause.

“It doesn’t have to be some massive thing," McManus said. "Some people just want to give and this is a way for them to do it.”

Shaqueta Pope, a single mom with two children, saw the social media post not knowing what it would mean for her family. Shortly after seeing the post she had multiple emergencies that caused her to reallocate funds, leaving very little for groceries.

“I don’t know how things would have played out in those situations," she said. "I probably would have had to do a DoorDash or something for extra funds.”

Pope and her family were the first people to use the pre-paid meals program at Bam Bam BBQ.

“Sometimes things fall into place when you need them and that’s what this business has been for me,” she said.

McManus said he remembers Pope and her kids coming to the restaurant the first time. He said she messaged him after she left saying she cried all the way home because of what he and the donors were able to do for her.

He says people can come into the restaurant, call or message them to see if there are tickets and to claim them. His one rule is that it's one meal person an they must be present to pick it up or dine in.

“It helps us all," McManus said. "This has helped me pay bills. It has helped me feed people that I want to feed. I can only give so much myself. So it’s been remarkable.”

McManus retired from the military but is choosing to continue to serve his community because he want's to help as many people as possible. During a time when there wasn't tickets he used $500 of his own to make sure meals were available to those who needed one.

McManus says he want to be a resource for the community, not only for good barbecue but also to help those in need. For Pope, she says she's found her second family.

“It’s meant a lot," she said. "It’s helped me in situations where I didn’t know what I was going to do. All I could do was pray.”