Malta, NY (WRGB) — With SNAP benefits set to end for thousands of Capital Region families amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, a family-owned pizzeria in Malta is stepping in to help.
Sergio’s Pizza announced this week that it will offer free personal pizza pies to children under 18 every Monday and Thursday for families eligible to receive SNAP benefits.
“We just wanted to help our community,” owner Tyler Dunleavy said.
Inside the restaurant, the sound of dough being tossed and pizzas coming out of the oven fills the room — a familiar routine now aimed at supporting neighbors one pie at a time.
Dunleavy said the idea came as he watched the shutdown unfold.
“That was the whole point of it,” he said. “We seen that SNAP ending soon with the government shutdown and we wanted to do anything that we could, like best in our ability to help.”
For Dunleavy, the effort is personal.
“My mom was a single mother, so I grew up on welfare,” he said. “A lot of people rely on those benefits and need them to basically survive. So, you know, with them being down with the government shut down, I think this is the best way I can help.”
The pizzeria’s Facebook post announcing the free meals quickly spread, generating more than 3,000 shares.
“It’s heartwarming,” Dunleavy said. “It’s so cool to see people actually get together and want to help out. Because it’s sad to say that it’s not the norm anymore. So to see everyone just over on Facebook post kind of link up and everyone like, ‘Oh, I can help here,’ and ‘I can donate this.’ And it’s a beautiful thing.”
Among Sergio’s regulars is Paul Caradori, who visits weekly with his 3-year-old granddaughter, Addy.
“We come here every week, right Addy?” he said. “I pick her up from her daycare and we come here once a week.”
Caradori said the gesture gives him hope.
“It’s a great thing, especially when a little granddaughter right here,” he said. “You wonder what the future is gonna bring and it’s nice to know that people are here to step up when there’s times in need.”
As uncertainty continues in Washington, Dunleavy says the community’s response is a reminder of what people can still do for one another.
“When division is easy to find, this town is proving unity still lives here at home,” he said.
Dunleavy added that Sergio’s is not accepting donations at this time but may consider hosting a food drive in the future.
This article has been corrected to reflect the granddaughter’s correct age.