Couple Invites 'Lonely' Homeless Man To Thanksgiving Dinner So He Can Have Holiday He Deserves

Couple Invites 'Lonely' Homeless Man To Thanksgiving Dinner So He Can Have Holiday He Deserves

This year, this man has two people to be thankful for.

Neal Shytles of Norfolk, Virginia, spends his holidays by himself as he is homeless with no family living nearby, WTKR reported.

"I am lonely like 365 days a year but Christmas and Thanksgiving are two of the worst days, and I really miss having some kind of family atmosphere around me," Shytles told WTKR.

Wishing for a traditional Thanksgiving with others, Shytles posted an ad on his local news station's Facebook page, asking to spend the holiday with a family, the outlet reported. While the ad attracted several volunteers offering to take him in as a guest, Ashley and Cory LeMore of Newport News, Virginia, contacted Shytles first. The couple plans on hosting him at their Thanksgiving table.

"I was crying when she called me and I had to excuse myself because I was emotional," Shytle told WTKR about the moment he first heard the LeMores' offer.

The LeMores will make a trip to Shytle's town to pick him up and bring him to their home for the holiday, where he'll finally be surrounded by the family atmosphere he was looking for -- something he says he's overjoyed with.

"I love both you and your husband even though I haven't met you," the Virginia man told WTKR of his gratitude toward Ashley and her husband. "Thank you so much. It means a lot to me.”

While Shytle says he's ecstatic about having a family to spend Thanksgiving with, he's not the only one excited about it.

"I just look forward to having him in our house and a part of our family for the day," Ashley told the outlet.

The holidays can really bring out the best in people. Take NYPD officer Larry DiPrimo, who, after seeing a homeless man who was spending a cold winter night without shoes back in 2012, decided to take action. In true holiday spirit, DiPrimo went into a nearby store and bought the man a pair of sneakers and thermal socks. His actions were even lauded by Mayor Bloomberg as "an important reminder to give back this holiday season."

Entrepreneur and founder Peter Shankman was in the giving spirit last year when he decided to use his airline miles on others. Shankman chose 25 people, who couldn't afford to visit their families, and gave them his miles to see their loved ones for the holidays.

Before You Go

1
Add a little baking powder for fluffier mashed potatoes.
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2
Keep the mashed potatoes warmed in a slow cooker.
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You'll have a whole extra burner for making gravy.
3
Don't waste time washing and peeling potatoes.
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Let your dishwasher wash the potatoes for you -- and peel them when they come out clean. OR, boil them with the skin on and give them a dunk in cold water once cooked. This will shock the skins loose and make peeling a breeze.
4
Slowcook the turkey overnight.
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Yes, you can. And yes, this will make your Thanksgiving feel infinitely easier. Pop the bird in the oven the evening before and wake up to a nearly completed Thanksgiving feast. Here's the recipe.
5
Use chicken broth to save a dried out turkey.
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If you've overcooked your bird -- and this is more common than you think -- pour a little warm chicken broth on top of the slices to add flavor and warmth.
6
Make your pie dough way in advance and freeze it.
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It's one less thing you have to do around the big day. Or, you could just buy one already made. We won't tell.
7
Use beans for pie weights.
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Not many of us bake pies on the regular, so we don't have things like pie weights and shields on hand. Luckily, there's no need. Use dried beans or rice in place of pie weights and fashion yourself a pie shield out of aluminum foil.
8
Prepare your gravy ahead of time.
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Yes, it's possible. This recipe will show you how. That way you don't have to stress about the gravy when all you and everyone else wants to do is sit down and eat.
9
Keep your gravy warm with a thermos.
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Another way to take the last-minute work out of gravy.
10
Chop your veggies ahead of time.
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Store the chopped onions, celery and carrots -- already portioned for each recipe -- in clearly labeled containers in the fridge or freezer.
11
Use the garlic-peeling shortcut.
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Saveur showed us how to peel a whole head of garlic in just 10 seconds. This is an essential trick to know on Thanksgiving.
12
Use your cooler.
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It works as a second fridge. Everything that doesn't fit in the refrigerator -- which is a lot on Thanksgiving -- goes in the cooler. It's so simple, yet so genius.
13
Put the cookbooks away.
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If you're following recipes this Thanksgiving, print them out and tape them to your cabinets. It'll free up the much-needed counter space that cookbooks or computers take up. We suggest filling that space with snacks for the cook: you. Happy Thanksgiving!
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