NEW YORK, Oct. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Reader's
Digest has named Yassin's Falafel House in Knoxville, Tennessee the winner of its second
annual search for the "Nicest Places in America," a national
crowd-sourced effort to shine a light on places where people are
kind and treat each other with respect. Yassin's story is featured
in the November issue of the magazine and online
at www.rd.com/nicest.
Founded by Yassin Terou, a Syrian
refugee who came to the U.S. in 2011, Yassin's Falafel House has
become a pillar of the Knoxville
community, and a place where people of all faiths, preferences and
political persuasions come together to share meals. Yassin's is a
"safe place" for "all types," signs around the restaurant proudly
declare.
"In just a few years, Yassin's has become a hub of welcoming and
charity that bridges all potential divides, and Yassin Terou is an inspiration to us all," said
Bruce Kelley, Reader's Digest
editor-in-chief. "Who would have thought a falafel restaurant would
be the rallying point for kindness in not just Knoxville but the nation? But it is. When
Yassin arrived as a dislocated refugee and built something that
represented how much he has to give to his new community,
Knoxville returned his investment
with respect, trust and love."
The "Nicest Places in America" program is Reader's
Digest's response to the current climate of cultural and
political divide. In May 2018, ABC's "Good Morning America"
joined Reader's Digest in crowdsourcing online
submissions from places large and small across the nation, with
co-anchor Robin Roberts serving as
the lead judge and appearing with Terou on a bonus cover of the
November issue.
"On the surface, if someone said, 'Here's an immigrant, refugee,
Muslim who is not only accepted but embraced in Knoxville, Tennessee,' people would look at
you sideways," says Roberts. "But having been there and seen for
myself the pure joy, I want Yassin's and the other finalists to be
little seeds to plant around the country that let everybody know:
Nice is not weak. Nice is not a four-letter word."
This year's nationwide search received nearly 450 submissions
with representation across all of the continental U.S. The 10
editor-selected "Nicest Place" finalists were announced
in June 2018, when voting was opened to the public in
partnership with USA Today Network
travel site 10best.com. Reader's Digest editors then
considered this 62,000-vote vote tally, along with its in-depth
reporting on the finalist places and judges' input, to select the
"Nicest Place in America."
The complete stories of the finalists and the hundreds of other
nominees can be found at rd.com/nicest .
About Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest, a Trusted Media Brands, Inc. brand, simplifies
and enriches consumers' lives by discovering and expertly selecting
the most interesting ideas, stories, experiences and products in
health, home, family, food, finance and humor. Reader's Digest is
available online at RD.com; in print; via digital download on iPad,
mobile apps and tablets; and can be accessed via its social media
channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.
About Trusted Media Brands, Inc.
Trusted Media Brands, Inc. comprises a network of engaged,
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646-518-4224
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SOURCE Reader's Digest