Girl, five, receives heartwarming thank you letter from homeless man

Angel Lilly Thomas, five, was told she was "an amazing little girl with a very big heart" by one of the people she has helped support.

Angel, from Tredegar, started making the packed lunches when she heard a local woman was collecting items – such as clothes, bedding and food – for the homeless.

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“Angel really wanted to make a different, so I helped her and together we made 34 packs, with sandwiches, biscuits and chocolate, which we gave to this lady to pass along to the homeless,” Angel's mum, Clare Wilson, said.

Angel wasn’t expecting rewards, but a 25-year-old homeless man, Chris, wrote her a thank you letter, with five-pound coins included.

His letter to Angel read: “I just wanted to write to say a very big thank you for the sandwiches you have been making for people like me.

“As a homeless person, it’s sometimes hard to get something to eat, and it is thanks to your kindness that we have had food recently.

“You have taken your own time to do something truly amazing for us at such a young age. We are so thankful to you for this.

“You really are an amazing little girl with a very big heart. Your parents should be very proud of you. Keep up the good work. And again thank you very very very much.”

Ms Wilson said Angel was reluctant to accept the money because she knew Chris had been given it to pay for food or shelter.

"I thought it was so sweet, someone that young being so thoughtful,” Ms Wilson said. “It brought a tear to my eye, as I just wasn’t expecting it. Children that age don’t usually think about things like this, but she really didn’t expect the money."

Ms Wilson said Angel was determined to help other people despite having her own medical problems, needing regular hospital trips to treat her asthma.

Chris' letter to Angel. Pictures: courtesy of Clare Wilson

But, she added, Angel was now looking forward to visiting her favourite shop with the money.

“She hasn’t spent the money yet," Ms Wilson said. "I asked how she wants to spend it and she wants to go to Poundland, as she absolutely loves it there.”