You can help a new pizzeria in the North End feed the hungry, just for $1.

Vikas Sanger, the owner of SFC Pizzeria, says that their pay-it-forward program has been successfully running for nearly three weeks.

Sanger says, "When I opened my pizza restaurant, on the first day, a guy came in, he had no money but he wanted food. So, I gave him a slice of pizza. On the second day - same thing - another guy came in and he had, like, 20 cents but he wanted to buy a slice of pizza. In our culture, we never deny anyone food or water if they are hungry."

Sanger says he realized that his business would not be sustainable if he continued to operate this way. Instead, he began to rely on the generosity of WInnipegers who could afford a slice or two of pizza.

At SFC Pizzeria, you can donate a few dollars and instead of taking an extra slice of pizza you are given a sticky note to write a blessing. The note is placed on a wall in the store. Those who cannot afford any food, then, take a sticky note and use it to pay for a slice of pizza.

Sanger says this is not a promotional ploy to generate traffic in the store: "I am not promoting my business, you know? I just want to help - I want to alleviate the hunger from this neighbourhood and around the city.

 "We are from India, and if you go to our temple there is free food for anybody over there. That is what we were taught by our parents: You never say no to them, if somebody is hungry, and you can give."

Sanger and his wife have called Winnipeg home for ten years and are very aware of the issue of homelessness in Winnipeg. They see this as an opportunity to reach out to those in need and help organizations who may not be able to help everyone.

Sanger says, "I stepped out on Saturday and went on to Main Street to Siloam Mission. I told the guys on the street that if they wanted food, they could come to my store."

Sanger thinks other North End businesses could adopt a similar program, help one another, and help those in need in their neighbourhood. "Who doesn't want to help the homeless or hungry people?"