On most days, Bada Bing! Pizzeria in Springfield, Ohio, simply cranks out the garlic knots and calzones (to great Yelp reviews). But this Thanksgiving, it's taking on a different role: as a refuge for people in need.
"A lot of people, just like myself, we don't really see what's going on in the community when it comes to homelessness and poverty," Bada Bing! owner Jason Hague told Upworthy. "A lot of us just go to Walmart or the mall to go shopping and we just don't see the plight of others that are in need."
Hague had already planned to host a Thanksgiving dinner in the shop for his friends, family, and members of his staff who didn't have anywhere else to go when he thought:
Why not invite local homeless and hungry people too?
In order to make sure word got around, Hague put this sign in the window:
Photo by Bada Bing! Pizzeria/Facebook, used with permission.
"I wanted to put the sign on the door just to let people know, 'Hey, we're closed, but we're here as well, so if you want to come in, stop in, we got a seat for you," Hague said.
The photo quickly went viral in the community — and around the Internet.
As of the time of publication, the photo of the sign had been shared over 5,000 times on Facebook.
"Come dinnertime last night, we were just so inundated with not just customers, but people just coming in that wanted to help out and donate their time, services, or money to helping out with this cause," Hague said.
According to Hague, one customer — an elementary school-aged kid — has even offered to perform magic tricks at dinner.
Hague's plan to invite the homeless and hungry to Thanksgiving was a big hit with the pizzeria's staff as well.
Photo by Bada Bing! Pizzeria/Facebook, used with permission.
"I think it's absolutely amazing," Michelle Butler, an employee of the pizzeria, told Upworthy. According to Butler, when Hague announced the Thanksgiving plan, many on staff immediately volunteered to pitch in.
"I donated four turkeys. We went from three turkeys to seven turkeys," Butler said. She plans to make them all tonight.
Though Hague is a little nervous about being overwhelmed with people, he's grateful for the amazing support of his staff and customers. Initially, he had enough food for 15 people, but after all the attention the post received, he went back to the grocery store and purchased 100 servings of turkey and all the trimmings.
Bada Bing! is one of a number of restaurants reaching out to those less fortunate.
Hague with a Springfield local outside Bada Bing! Photo by Bada Bing! Pizzeria/Facebook, used with permission.
Restaurants like Rosa's Fresh Pizza in Philadelphia have received a ton of attention and praise for allowing customers to "pay it forward" by purchasing pizza slices for the needy for $1 each. Back in April, the owner of P.B. Jams in Oklahoma City left a note for a person digging through their trash inviting them in for a free meal.
The thing they all have in common? The desire to treat homeless and hungry people not as objects to be afraid of, but as fellow members of the community who might be down on their luck and in need of a hand.
"Even if we're able to feed just one family, I'm OK with that," Hague said.
It's a sentiment that the Bada Bing! staff shares.
"A lot of people don't have families to go to, and there's a lot of homeless here in Springfield," Butler said. "I think it'll bring people together and just be a special time."
For Hague, that's exactly what the holiday is supposed to be.
"Thanksgiving is one of those days that you want to spend time with your family and friends, but it's also a time to give thanks for what you have, and we've been very blessed here," Hague said. "So if we're able to bless someone else by giving them hope, then that makes me feel good."
"That's my holiday."
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."