While the frustrations many of us face during the holidays usually consist of things like trying to find the perfect gift for somebody, or having to struggle to get everything under the tree in time for the 25th, for others the early winter is much more difficult.
Winter is an especially tough time of year for the thousands of homeless people who live in this country alone, thanks to increasingly cold and inhospitable weather conditions, fewer and fewer places for them to sleep outdoors, and a shortage of shelters with long-term care available. Not only that, but most of them don't even have warm enough clothes to actually deal with how cold the winter can ultimately be.
While there are several organizations dedicated to providing relief to the homeless year-round, these organizations only have so many resources available to them, and the rate of homelessness is only increasing by the year. As a result, it's all the more important for members of the community to pitch in where they can in order to help out.
Well, one Amir Shawarma franchise owner in the city of Montreal, Canada has decided to do just that, and has offered up a safe place for the area's homeless population to get a hot meal over the holidays...
Raji Abi Rached, the owner of the Amir franchise in Montreal's Place Versailles shopping center, has decided to offer a bit of holiday hospitality to the homeless people of Montreal. Already known for often giving out free meals to the homeless people who frequent the nearby subway station, he has since stepped up his offer, and even made his intentions known to the local government.
Translated from French, the tweet reads:
"Hello Ms. Plante [Montreal's mayor], I am the own of the Amir restaurant at Place Versailles and we are offering a free meal to the local homeless until Christmas. If you ever see someone, you can bring them here and we welcome them. Have a good day"
In an interview with CBC, Rached elaborates, saying:
"I wanted to influence people to do the same. I wanted this to be contagious. We are looking to get more people to do like we are doing, so we can change the world and make it a better place. I am so surprised that everyone is encouraging; everybody was retweeting; everyone was pushing for it."
What do you think of this man's good deed for the local homeless community on Christmas?