Sometimes, the most powerful stories come in the smallest packages.
Last Friday afternoon, something beautiful happened at YMCA Cheshire.
Six-year-old Eric Jefcoate-Malam walked in with his mum and handed us £5. It was not just pocket money. It was not spare change. It was money he had proudly raised all by himself in Wybunbury, by growing sunflowers from seed and selling them for 50p each outside their house.
He said he wanted to give it to the homeless.
His mum told us that as soon as he mentioned his wish to help, she immediately thought of YMCA Cheshire. She brought him down to our office at Gresty Road in Crewe, so he could give his donation in person and see where his small act of kindness was going. He came through our doors with a shy smile and a heart full of kindness.
Moments like this stop you in your tracks.
To most people, £5 might not seem like much. But when it’s given with love, compassion, and a strong sense of purpose from someone so young, it becomes priceless. Eric’s sunflower fundraiser is more than a donation, it’s a beautiful act of hope, empathy, and community spirit. They remind us that compassion doesn’t need to be taught, it often comes naturally. That generosity doesn’t come from wealth, it comes from empathy. And that children like Eric are already shaping the kind of world we all want to live in.
Eric may be our youngest fundraiser yet, but today, he became one of our greatest.
Thank you, Eric. You’ve inspired more than you’ll ever know.
Inspired by Eric?
Your support helps us do more for people experiencing homelessness.
