SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Maria’s Mexican Restaurant and Tahoe Bros Charbroiled Burgers are both participating in the Pay It Forward program, a program that Jose Perez of South Lake Tahoe Mutual Aid helped start. Through the South Lake Tahoe Mutual Aid group, they came up with guidelines and a system for Pay It Forward, modeled after other similar programs in other towns. South Lake Tahoe Mutual Aid defines mutual aid as a form of solidarity-based support where community members come together to meet each other’s needs. Mutual aid is built on principles of cooperation, reciprocity, and collective care. Inquiries about Pay It Forward can be sent to South Lake Tahoe Mutual Aid’s email at slt-mutualaid@proton.meEli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune.