WYOMING, Mich. — A Wyoming neighborhood brewery has served over 3,000 free meals to neighbors since launching their community meal program in November, turning their restaurant into a lifeline for families facing food insecurity.
Tom and Amy Payne, owners of TwoGuys Brewing, started the initiative after witnessing the need in their own neighborhood.
The couple fills a refrigerator with over 100 fresh, homemade meals daily, offering everything from lasagna to chicken and waffles to anyone who needs it.
"We started in March of 2018 we live right in the neighborhood. We looked at other buildings all around West Michigan, and it always came back to our neighborhood as to why wouldn't our neighbors benefit from what we do?" Tom Payne said.
It supported through the TwoGuys customers and Wyoming community, with neighbors donating money and food to continue the support.
The program serves families from all walks of life, including young parents struggling to put food on the table.
"To see what need looks like, and again, it looks different for everyone,"Amy Payne said. "And to see we have young moms that walk in with a toddler on their hip. Dad maybe is in the car, and they have tears rolling because they didn't know if they didn't know if they were going to eat today."
The meals aren't typical food bank offerings. The Paynes prepare restaurant-quality dishes made from scratch.
"It's lasagna and it's turkey and noodles, and it's chicken and waffles, and it's food that, like, you'd order it if it was everything we're putting in the cooler is things that I would proudly serve on our menu." Tom Payne said.
The couple's commitment to helping neighbors stems from their own past struggles with food insecurity, back in 2008, while opening up their first restaurant, and putting everything into it.
"Now he has no job. I have no job with 401k we had savings, but we had a house payment and car payments and insurance and utilities, and we ended up having to go on food stamps assistance, which was tough." Amy Payne said.
Neighbors have taken notice of the brewery's efforts. One local mother and daughter praised the quality and care that goes into each meal.
"It's not just canned food. They make it from scratch," said Diane Baum, who is donating to TwoGuys. "They they really care about the food that they're giving them to people, and that that's important to me."
The Payne's plan to continue the program as long as they can sustain it.
"Our neighbors, they're hard working people, and a lot of them are just a little bit down on their luck. And man, if we can put some good, warm food in their bellies and maybe, maybe put a little glimmer in their day, that's a great day." Tom Payne said.
Two Guys Brewing accepts both food donations and monetary donations to support the community meal program.
You can donate in person, or at their Venmo: @TwoGuysBrewing
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