DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) -- What started as an idea for free lunches, has turned into more than 200 meals in just a few days. Bobbie Lane's BBQ in Decatur is calling it the "pay it forward" wall.

Customers can buy a meal, put the ticket on the wall, and then someone else can eat for free. The General Manager, Brandon Dulik, said that they chose to do this because of concerns about SNAP benefits running out and food insecurity rising.

The restaurant put up the first 20 meals, and Dulik said that it has exploded. Now, the community is backing them by keeping tickets on the wall.

"It's not about selling a bunch of tickets. It's about making sure that whenever they come through the door, they don't feel judged, you know, they can come in, they can say, 'Hey, I'm hungry. Let's get you taken care

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