AIRWAY HEIGHTS — Billie’s Diner received a $10,000 Toast Change Makers Grant for its community program that fights food insecurity.
The restaurant was one of 15 recipients nationwide for the grant, which will fund its “Giving Wall” through 2026.
When the diner opened in 2022, owners noticed financial struggles facing their neighbors and created the Giving Wall program.
“We’ve had people come in who are clearly unhoused, looking for a meal, but we’ve also had people who have come in who are greatly burdened with medical bills, for example, at the moment and can’t afford to go out to eat,” said McKenzie DonTigny, owner of Billie’s Diner.
The program allows anyone to donate money to place tickets on the wall. People who need a meal can take a ticket and redeem it for food.
DonTigny shared her favorite example: “People who have forgotten their wallet and are hungry, and they come in and grab a meal, and then the next day, they come back and put a meal up on the wall.”
Community members can donate in person at the restaurant or online at billiesdiner.com.
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