VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - The holidays can be an especially lonely time, but one Valdosta man helped make sure no one had to spend Christmas by themselves.

Josh Hewett says the idea started simply. With most of his family out of town, he didn’t want to eat alone on Christmas Day, so he turned to social media.

“I really just didn’t want to eat by myself,” Hewett said. “So I just posted, you know, ‘Hey, if anybody wants to go eat on Christmas, let’s get together and eat.’”

What began as a casual post quickly gained attention. The message spread, drawing responses from people across the community. Some offered to attend, while others sent donations to help make the dinner possible.

Hewett said the overwhelming support caught him by surprise and left a lasting impact.

“My heart was pounding,” he said. “I just felt really good about it. It wasn’t about me or recognition. I just wanted to help others out and give them a good day.”

Hewett says seeing the faces of those who showed up made the effort worthwhile and gave him new ideas for the future. He hopes to turn the dinner into a larger, organized community event next year.

“It’s not about Josh,” Hewett said. “It’s about a community. It’s about spending time together.”

Hewett says even if only one person had attended, the dinner would still have been a success. For him, the true reward was making sure no one felt alone on Christmas.

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