AMERICUS, Ga. (WALB) — Five dollars can go a long way at one Americus bakery, where small donations are being turned into hot meals for people experiencing homelessness and others going through hard times.

Baker’s Dozen Donuts and Diner, which opened in March, started its Pay It Forward Dough Bucks program after owner Kimberly Baker said it became harder for the business to continue feeding people in need on its own.

“We’ve been feeding them since the day we opened,” Baker said.

Baker said the idea for the program came after she learned about a similar effort at Cornerstone Coffee in Albany.

Now, customers can purchase a $5 Dough Buck at the register to cover a meal for someone in need. Each certificate is placed on a board inside the restaurant and taken down when someone comes in to redeem a meal.

People can come in between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. for a hot meal. Baker said six people came in on one recent morning.

“It’s not just for the homeless,” Baker said. “If there’s somebody who is down on hard times, too, and just don’t have a meal for, you know, that day, we will feed them as well.”

The $5 Dough Bucks can be used for four different breakfast options, including sausage or bacon with grits, eggs with sausage or bacon, grits and eggs, or a glazed donut with coffee or another drink.

Americus resident LeAnne Dunne is one of the community members supporting the program.

“And it’s only $5. That’s what’s amazing,” Dunne said. “$5 and you have a choice of four different meals.”

Dunne said what makes the Dough Bucks special is that donors can also write a personal message on the back for the person who receives the meal.

“When I did mine, I put, ‘I hope you enjoy a nice warm meal,’ with a heart,” Dunne said. “This one says, ‘Jesus loves you. Stay warm and blessed.’”

Dunne said she hopes Baker’s idea spreads beyond the bakery.

“I’m hoping other businesses will take Kim’s lead and do something similar, so we have more options,” Dunne said. “I’d love to see that happen so it’s more of a community effort.”

For Baker, feeding people in need is personal.

She said growing up with a mother who struggled with mental illness, there were times when soup kitchens were the only places her family could get something to eat.

“I guess it’s a special place in my heart, too, to take care of the less fortunate,” Baker said.

Baker also points to her faith, citing Matthew 25:35 and its message of feeding those who are hungry.

She said the response to the program has shown her what the Americus community is capable of when people come together.

“We are a small community. We come together. We bond together,” Baker said. “I just wanted to give some good light to the Americus community and what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

People outside of Americus can also contribute. Baker said some supporters have sent money through Cash App and Venmo, while others can mail a check to Baker’s Dozen designated for the Pay It Forward meals.

Donation information is available through the bakery’s social media pages.

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