by Rebecca Hannant
A year eight pupil at Holderness Academy has continued his efforts to support the Hedon Food Bank, saying he has made it his “mission” to make sure no one in the area goes hungry this winter.
In October, Alfie Jewitt was celebrated by staff at the school and the Hedon Community Food Bank for his commitment to supporting volunteers and users at the facility.
Alfie was inspired to volunteer after hearing about the vital work the food bank did to support people in the community.
He said: “I wanted to help because it shocked me that food banks even exist. Until I heard about the food bank, I never really gave it much thought, but I have come to realise how fortunate I am that I can go to the cupboard or fruit bowl and help myself to something to eat or drink and not worry it’s the last of anything or that there isn’t anything there.”
To continue raising money, Alfie set up a bus stop-style fundraiser to “name the reindeer”. He charged £2 for each entry, so the food bank would receive £90 and the winner would receive a £30 prize.
Alfie managed to completely fill the card, and the winner donated their £30 back to the fundraiser, meaning £120 was raised in total. Alfie also spoke to staff at the food bank and received a list of the most-needed items. With his mother’s help, Alfie visited both Aldi and Heron to gather the goods.
They have now been donated to the food bank and will be distributed accordingly.
Alfie added: “I have been blown away by people’s praise, but I’m not doing it for that.
“I feel proud of how much I have managed to raise, and I am grateful to everyone who has supported me. I would like to do a similar bus stop card raffle to raise money, as I think this is more likely to bring in more money than putting together a hamper and selling raffle tickets.
“I like that my mum was able to record me scratching off the winning name, so everyone knows it was a fair and honest reveal of the winner.
“I have made it my mission to try to make sure no one in the area goes hungry this year, and this is how my fundraising came about. I am delighted that I was able to help replenish the stock at the Hedon Community Food Bank.”
Sarah Rommell of Hedon Food Bank said: “Alfie is a great asset to us – he sees a problem and does his best to find a solution. He’s a valuable part of our team.”
