On December 23, residents at DENS’ homeless hostel in Hemel Hempstead were treated to a special pizza night thanks to a generous donation from a newlywed couple.
Nina Cooke and Dan Jennings, from Tring, happily celebrated their wedding on Thursday. However, due to cOVID cases in their wider family, they, unfortunately, had to cancel the reception.
A catered pizza van, due to provide food for reception guests, was one of the couple’s biggest, non-refundable purchases. As they didn’t want the food or money to go to waste, they kindly donated it to The Elms, a 44-bed hostel that temporarily houses local people facing homelessness.
Nina said: “It was actually Dan’s dad, Martin, who suggested the lovely idea that it goes to a homeless hostel instead.
“Dan works at Longdean School in Hemel and has a heart for the homeless, and I work for a charity in Chesham called Restore Hope that works with families facing crisis, so we both know the impact food has on those most in need in our community.
“We had both heard of DENS through our work circles and often hear about the amazing work they do, so we just put in the call and the rest is history!”
Sean Fitzgerald, Head of Accommodation Services at DENS, said: “We are so thankful for this exceptional gesture of kindness from Nina and Dan. All our residents had a great night, enjoying each other’s company, and of course, the delicious pizza.
“After such a hard 18 months for everyone, this has really lifted spirits and shows the support we have in the community. We look forward to welcoming the couple for a visit in safer times and wish them a happy Christmas and New Year.”
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