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Kate MiddletonandPrince Williamare in giving mode.
St. Thomas’s Church in Swansea was one of the first places theroyal pair visitedwhen they became thePrince and Princess of Walesfollowing the death ofQueen Elizabethin September. Their trip to Swansea, about 180 miles west of London, on Sept. 27 left a lasting impression on those they met — and the couple themselves.
When Prince William and Princess Kate heard of the theft, they leaped into action.
“It was a very unexpected phone call,” Rev. Bunting tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I had a voicemail first of all from a member of the Royal Household asking me to call them back, and they basically said that Their Royal Highnesses were upset to hear what had happened and wanted to know they could help.”
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“And they asked if it would be okay if they replaced everything that was stolen," he continues. “I was completely gobsmacked!”
Food and toys for newborn children were taken in the raid.
“They want to restore us to the way we were before the burglary happened,” he adds.
He declined to quantify the value of what was taken — as he doesn’t disclose any details of donations from organizations or individuals. “The food bank is back open with supplies for people who need it,” he adds.
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The vicar says the couple’s generosity is a sign of their commitment. “It demonstrates that they take this role seriously. We felt when they were here they were very, very authentic and sincere and incredibly kind and generous with their time in the way they were with everybody,” he adds.
“They have a very busy schedule, so for them to not only be aware of what happened but to act on it immediately speaks for itself,” he says. “There was no reason to do that unless you genuinely want to do that.”
Rev. Bunting says the door of the church and the food bank is open to whoever committed the burglary.
“Everybody is welcome here, and we would love an opportunity to chat through this,” he says.
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Rev. Bunting tells PEOPLE, “In my early life, I was around people with addiction issues and challenging circumstances and I know how that can affect people for the rest of their lives.”
“I would really love to be part of the trajectory of changing someone’s life,” he adds. “If you are stealing from a food bank, it’s not going to end well without some support.”
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Since they became the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate have been to the nation several times, including just before the coronation of King Charles when they spent two days in theformer industrial valleysand paid their respects at the memorial to thecoal tip tragedy in Aberfan, that killed 116 children in 1966.
source: people.com
