WHAT IS "PAY IT FORWARD ALABAMA"?

Pay It Forward Alabama was founded in 2020 by Birmingham entrepreneur Brandon Stewart in the wake of the catastrophic COVID-19 crisis. Stewart, a local Jimmy John’s franchisee and COO of Kensington Hill Capital, saw that members of his community were in need of special assistance and developed the Pay It Forward Alabama initiative, in partnership with the Phoenix Club of Birmingham, to raise money and provide meals for healthcare workers in Alabama communities. Stewart started the campaign as a way to donate boxed Jimmy John’s lunches to area hospitals, as well as offer healthcare workers who come into the restaurant a full boxed lunch at cost, just six dollars. Since its inception, the organization has expanded its focus to help different members of the community as needed, including raising funds for the Birmingham Zoo and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Alabama. Pay It Forward Alabama continues to raise funds for healthcare workers and beyond, raising more than $10,000 to date, and has fed over 1,500 medical personnel in just a few months of operating. Through Pay It Forward Alabama, Stewart is also able to offer a free lunch to any child who comes into select Jimmy John’s locations in Birmingham during the current crisis.