‘No One Eats Alone’: Muslim-Owned Restaurant Offers Free Christmas Meal For Homeless And Elderly

A splendid and wondrous celebration is surely fast approaching -- Christmas! Everyone is excited and is anticipating vacation, treats, sumptuous food, freebies, sales and many more. It is a season of giving and sharing -- a famous line all around the world that never gets old for everyone when Christmas season begins. And that is regardless of nationality, age, status and even religion!

One restaurant in Sidcup, London, put a sign on its window. It is particularly for the elderly and homeless community telling that it will be serving free three-course meals at Christmas because "no one should eat alone."

The Shish restaurant's meal will be offering a choice of soup or cacik, a Turkish herb-and-yogurt dip, followed by the choice of chicken casserole, vegetarian casserole or chicken shish for the main course and rice pudding for dessert. The Shish restaurant has been in London since 1993. Its specialty is Turkish meat dishes.

According to The Washington Post, restaurant manager Irsan Can Genc said that the idea for the free meal at Christmas started when an a local elderly woman came into the restaurant in early November asking whether anyone could help her close a window. The staff gave the favor and the woman told the staff afterward while thanking them that she would be alone for Christmas.

The Shish owner, Serdar Kigili, was reminded of his mother in Turkey, whom he had not seen in five years, according to the news network. It then made him somehow wanted to do this thing since his mother was far away from him. The staff began planning what they could do or offer for people in similar situations at Christmas and the wonderful plan was born.

"It's not about religion, language or culture," Genc told CNN. "It's about community."

This statement is strikingly amazing! Amid of the busy world and fast-paced hostile environment, this restaurant came to a brilliant idea of sharing and making a difference to some people's lives. Love and resources reach its full operation when it is exercised.

The simple note started with just a handwritten on a sheet of white paper and then later on it was made a catchier announcement. The restaurant even posted on its social media pages in mid-November, encouraging everyone to share it who might be alone at Christmas. This invitation is earning a lot of respect and commendations across social media and news.

Shish's handwritten note immediately struck attention. In the past three weeks, images of the sign have been liked and shared thousands of times. Hundreds of people have commented, praising the restaurant for its hospitable gesture in the face of the inhospitable environment for Muslims.

Times like this when chaotic events happen in different corners of the world, it is a somehow a good-to-know thing that there are still people with creative ideas that offer generosity to others. What an awesome feeling of comfort and love it can give that day to those who are being "left-behind" while others had Christmas celebration. This restaurant is a manifestation of the statement: It's a season of giving. It is making its way in breaking barriers of people's differences.