AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth defender Jack Stacey has had a fine season on the pitch, playing 25 times as the Cherries secured automatic promotion.
However, perhaps his most impressive work has come quietly off-the-field at St Stephen’s Hall in Bournemouth.
The 26-year-old has spent the season volunteering with Hope for Food, a charity that supports the homeless and families in poverty in the local area, an action that only came to attention following a Bournemouth Police social media post in April.
Stacey was alerted to the charity when they were selected as one of the club’s four official charity partners for the 2021/22 season. Hope for Food will remain a charity partner for the 2022/23 campaign.
Speaking to afcb.co.uk, Stacey revealed that he sought out the charity: “I got in touch with the charity when I saw they were partnered with AFC Bournemouth at the start of the season.
“They’re a charity that helps homeless people and people living in poverty around Bournemouth, people who are struggling to afford food and essentials.
“They have a soup kitchen on Thursday and Sunday every week, so every Thursday I’ll go down there, Junior [Stanislas] will often come down with me, and we’ll hand out clothes and they also have hot food for anyone that needs it.”
Founded in 2012, Hope for Food is an entirely volunteer run organisation based in Bournemouth.
The organisation was founded with the aim of providing life’s basic essentials on a day-to-day basis to people in need of help due to the current economic climate.
They provide two community meals each week and also supply food hampers weekly to families referred to them. They also provide toiletries, clothing, bedding and small household items.
Stacey is able to see the impact that the charity’s work has on people's day-to-day lives.
“They get around 60 people there every week and we also hosted a Christmas dinner. Everyone at the charity is a volunteer and they do some great work.
“It’s really nice to see the work they do first hand. It’s also eye-opening to see on our doorstep how people are living.
“We’ve received donations from our families, the lads in the changing room have given me clothes to take down there so it’s been good to see the impact that that can have for people.
“They do some great work, I’m only a very, very small part compared to the people who volunteer down there, no-one takes a salary, it’s just done out of the goodness of their heart.
"There’s people who will make sandwiches, make soup and bake cakes every single week and bring them down to the Church so it’s all about them really.”
