Area residents with the taste for a good steak or some ribs would do well to hold off until Thursday to chow down, when they can get a great meal and help out a worthy organization at the same time.

That day, local restaurant 13 Bones will donate a portion of every meal purchased to the Shepherd’s House homeless shelter. Tickets for the event are free, but are required to participate.

The event is being put together with the assistance of the Greater Mount Airy Ministry of Hospitality, and Director Rev. Phil Goble Jr. said it’s heartwarming to see a local business support the organization.

“We’re so excited to partner with 13 Bones for this event,” he said.

On Thursday, guests with tickets will give them to their server at the restaurant, and that signifies to the staff that the meal is part of the Shepherd’s House fundraiser.

Tickets will be accepted at the 13 Bones locations in Mount Airy and Greensboro, Goble said, but they must be picked up in advance and presented at the time of the meal.

Bob Meinecke, chairman of GMAMH, called the event a “great opportunity” to get a good meal while helping out the Shepherd’s House.

“Everyone has to eat, whether it’s lunch or dinner or both,” he said. “This is a way you can get a great meal from a wonderful local restaurant and, at the same time, help those in need.

“It’s a win-win all the way around!”

Shepherd’s House is Mount Airy’s only homeless shelter, and serves women, children and families.

Between April 2003 and June 2012, the Shepherd’s House has served 1,211 people including 696 women and 407 children. It has provided 31,608 nights of shelter and 94,824 meals during that time.

Clients at the shelter have come from Surry, Stokes, Yadkin, Wilkes and Forsyth counties in North Carolina, as well as Virginia and other states.

For more information or to secure a ticket to the event, call the Shepherd’s House at 786-1420.

Shepherd’s House is at 227 Rockford St., across from the Andy Griffith Playhouse.