Kate Middleton and Prince William's Generosity Leaves Welsh Vicar 'Gobsmacked' Following Theft

The Prince and Princess of Wales showed their commitment to a Welsh church they visited in September by donating replacement items after a burglary of its food bank and baby bank

Kate Middleton and Prince William are in giving mode.

The Prince and Princess of Wales left a vicar "gobsmacked" when they offered to replace all the items stolen from a food bank and baby bank operated at his church.

The couple made the generous offer to Rev. Steven Bunting, who had initially shared news of the thefts via the church's Facebook page on Monday. A thief had stolen the food bank produce and some baby bank items, which had a special poignancy as it has been supported by Princess Kate's initiative to help organizations across the U.K.

St. Thomas's Church in Swansea was one of the first places the royal pair visited when they became the Prince and Princess of Wales following the death of Queen Elizabeth in September. Their trip to Swansea, about 180 miles west of London, on Sept. 27 left a lasting impression on those they met — and the couple themselves.

When Prince William and Princess Kate heard of the theft, they leaped into action.

"It was a very unexpected phone call," Rev. Bunting tells PEOPLE exclusively. "I had a voicemail first of all from a member of the Royal Household asking me to call them back, and they basically said that Their Royal Highnesses were upset to hear what had happened and wanted to know they could help."

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“And they asked if it would be okay if they replaced everything that was stolen," he continues. "I was completely gobsmacked!”

Food and toys for newborn children were taken in the raid.

"They want to restore us to the way we were before the burglary happened," he adds.

He declined to quantify the value of what was taken — as he doesn’t disclose any details of donations from organizations or individuals. “The food bank is back open with supplies for people who need it,” he adds.

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Sadly, the Baby Basics collection — which stems from a partnership that Princess Kate has set up to help baby banks, with much-needed new items sent by donor companies to voluntary organizations every few months — was also hit.

“We had boxes of toys for newborn children and they were opened and whatever they could carry was taken. They also took a rucksack that was left by a homeless person and filled that with items,” Rev. Bunting adds.

The vicar says the couple's generosity is a sign of their commitment. “It demonstrates that they take this role seriously. We felt when they were here they were very, very authentic and sincere and incredibly kind and generous with their time in the way they were with everybody,” he adds.

“They have a very busy schedule, so for them to not only be aware of what happened but to act on it immediately speaks for itself," he says. "There was no reason to do that unless you genuinely want to do that.”

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Rev. Bunting says the door of the church and the food bank is open to whoever committed the burglary.

"Everybody is welcome here, and we would love an opportunity to chat through this," he says.

Rev. Bunting tells PEOPLE, "In my early life, I was around people with addiction issues and challenging circumstances and I know how that can affect people for the rest of their lives."

"I would really love to be part of the trajectory of changing someone’s life," he adds. "If you are stealing from a food bank, it’s not going to end well without some support.”

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Since they became the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate have been to the nation several times, including just before the coronation of King Charles when they spent two days in the former industrial valleys and paid their respects at the memorial to the coal tip tragedy in Aberfan, that killed 116 children in 1966.

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