Photos: Homeless hero reunites with family

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PHOTOS: Homeless hero reunites with family

Nov. 28, 2013: Joel Hartman, the homeless man who returned a woman's wallet, is reunited with his family for Thanksgiving.

Staff members from the Omni Hotel at CNN Center provide transportation for Joel Hartman, the homeless man who returned a woman's wallet he found while digging through trash hoping to find someone's leftover meal, to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to be reunited with his family for Thanksgiving on Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta.

Joel Hartman pauses to gather his thoughts on the drive to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to be reunited with his family for Thanksgiving on Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta.

Joel Hartman embraces his stepmother Deanna Rodecki, who has been searching for him for more than a decade, at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta.

Joel Hartman, the homeless man who returned a woman's wallet he found while digging through trash hoping to find someone's leftover meal, is reunited with his family at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for Thanksgiving on Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta. His stepmother Deanna Rodecki (from left), brother Andrew Rodecki, Joel Hartman, and his brother Erick Hordos embrace at baggage claim for the first time in a decade.

Joel Hartman, the homeless man who returned a woman's wallet he found while digging through trash hoping to find someone's leftover meal, is reunited with his family for Thanksgiving. Here, he embraces his stepmother, Deanna Rodecki, at baggage claim as his brother, Andrew Rodecki, looks on at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta.

Joel Hartman, the homeless man who returned a woman's wallet he found while digging through trash hoping to find someone's leftover meal, is reunited with his family. Here, he hugs his stepmother, Deanna Rodecki, as his brother, Andrew Rodecki, looks on in baggage claim at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta.

Joel Hartman, the homeless man who returned a woman's wallet he found while digging through trash hoping to find someone's leftover meal, is reunited with his family at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for Thanksgiving on Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta. His stepmother Deanna Rodecki (from left), brother Andrew Rodecki, Hartman, and his brother Erick Hordos embrace at baggage claim for the first time in a decade. Deanna Rodecki has been searching for Hartman for more than 10 years.

Stepmother Deanna Rodecki (from left) and his brothers Andrew Rodecki and Erick Hordos smother Joel Hartman, the homeless man who returned a woman's wallet he found digging through trash hoping to find someone's leftover meal, with love as they are reunited for Thanksgiving at Hartsfield Jackson Airport on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta. His stepmother Deanna Rodecki has been searching for Hartman for more than a decade catching wind of him only to find he had moved on.

Joel Hartman is reunited with his family at Hartsfield Jackson Airport for Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta. His stepmother Deanna Rodecki (from left), brother Andrew Rodecki, Joel Hartman, and his brother Erick Hordos joyfully embrace at baggage claim for the first time in a decade. Deanna Rodecki has been searching for Hartman for more than 10 years catching wind of him only to find he had moved on.

Reunited for Thanksgiving Joel Hartman leaves Hartsfield Jackson Airport with his stepmother Deanna Rodecki, and brothers Andrew Rodecki and Erick Hordos to return to the Omni Hotel at CNN Center on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta.

Primeflight Aviation Service employees Carl Worthy (left) and Lloyd Mitchell met "Homeless Hero" Joel Hartman at baggage claim as he is reunited with his family at Hartsfield Jackson Airport for Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta.

Back at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center stepmother Deanna Rodecki presents Joel Hartman gifts including family photo albums for him to keep. Rodecki has been searching for Hartman for more than a decade catching wind of him only to find he had moved on.

Back at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center stepmother Deanna Rodecki presents Joel Hartman gifts including family photo albums for him to keep on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta. Rodecki has been searching for Hartman for more than a decade catching wind of him only to find he had moved on.

Stepmother Deanna Rodecki also presents Joel Hartman with a nice warm coat in their room at the Omni Hotel at the CNN Center. Rodecki has been searching for Hartman for more than a decade catching wind of him only to find he had moved on.

Perhaps the best Thanksgiving food gift Joel Hartman receives is a crumbled bag of homemade sugar cookies sent by his youngest brother Evan Rodecki, who was not able to come, for Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta. The cookies were crumbled during the trip, but Hartman said "these are great" while eating them up.

Andrew Rodecki, Joel Hartman, stepmother Deanna Rodecki, and Erick Hordos sit down for a family Thanksgiving Day meal provided by the Omni Hotel at CNN Canter on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta. His stepmother Deanna Rodecki has been searching for Hartman for more than a decade.

Joel Hartman, the homeless man who returned a woman's wallet he found digging through trash hoping to find someone's leftover meal, was reunited with his stepmother Deanna Rodecki during a Thanksgiving Day meal at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta. His stepmother has been searching for Hartman for more than a decade.

Andrew Rodecki proposes a toast to his brother Joel Hartman, Hartman's stepmother Deanna Rodecki, and brother Erick Hordos to begin a Thanksgiving Day reunion meal at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta. It is the first time the three brothers have sat down together for a Thanksgiving meal. Andrew Rodecki said, "I propose a toast to long lost family coming together and many, many years of knowing each other and getting along to come."

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Staff members from the Omni Hotel at CNN Center provide transportation for Joel Hartman, the homeless man who returned a woman's wallet he found while digging through trash hoping to find someone's leftover meal, to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to be reunited with his family for Thanksgiving on Nov. 28, 2013, in Atlanta.

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