Muslim-owned restaurant is offering free meals to the homeless this Christmas

"We are here to sit with you."
 By 
Marissa Wenzke
 on 
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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

A Turkish restaurant in London has decided to celebrate Christmas with a loving act of charity.

Shish Restaurant, which is Muslim-owned and based in Sidcup, is offering free meals to the homeless over the coming holiday period, The Telegraph reports.

Throughout the day, from noon until 6 p.m., the homeless and elderly will be able to enjoy a free three-course meal, with a main entrée choice of chicken casserole, vegetarian casserole or chicken shish (grilled chicken served on skewers), along with soup or cacik (Turkish yoghurt) and a dessert of rice pudding.

"No one eats alone on Christmas Day," the restaurant said in a flyer advertising the offer. "We are here to sit with you."

"We're just helping people," a restaurant employee named Hasan Masud told BuzzFeed News, adding that the homeless and elderly are more than welcome because “lots of people stay home alone for Christmas."

"They don’t need to," he added. "They can come here and have some fun.”

It's a warm dose of holiday spirit that didn't go unnoticed on social media.

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Marissa Wenzke

Marissa is a real-time news intern at the LA office. She has a bachelor's degree in political science from UC Santa Barbara and a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University. She's a free spirit.

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