As restaurants around the Shenandoah Valley are having to lay off workers or close their doors, some restaurants in downtown Harrisonburg are hoping a new project will help them support their employees.

It's called the virtual tip jar, and it's up on the

and

. Aaron Ludwig, owner of the two restaurants, said this has been a challenging time. They've had to cut some employee hours, and lay others off.

With the virtual tip jar, people can go online and donate, and the money goes directly to the staff.

"We've had a lot of our customers and a lot of our guests reach out, hey what can we do to help," Ludwig said. "Carry-out orders are huge, and delivery orders are big, but this is a way that can really help our most important asset, our people."

Ludwig said they have gifts for people who make certain contributions as a way of thanking them. They include stickers, exclusive t-shirts, and discount cards for when the restaurant opens again.

The virtual tip jar will be online throughout the month of April.