The founders of Grace Relief Initiative International (GRII), Apostle Israel Eledan and Reverend Grace Eledan, have called for sustained compassion towards the elderly and other vulnerable groups, describing it as a vital pathway to promoting love, dignity, and a sense of belonging in society.
They made this call during an appreciation event organised for volunteers of Arinola Kitchens, one of the humanitarian programmes of the organisation ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ Ibadan, Oyo State.
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ founders ๐ข๐ญ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, for prioritising the welfare of senior citizens, particularly through the prompt payment of pensionersโ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด an๐ฅ ๐จ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด, ๐ข๐ด ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข๐ด workersโ ๐ด๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ต๐ญ๐บ.
They further urged both federal and state governments to create more enabling platforms for collaboration between humanitarian organisations and government agencies to enhance social welfare ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ป๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด.
Grace Relief Initiative International Inc., a non-governmental organisation registered in both Nigeria and the United States, has continued to add value to the lives of needy elderly persons through Arinola Kitchens, a programme dedicated to providing food, care, and holistic support for senior citizens.
The programme is coordinated under the directorship of Mrs. Victoria Olu-Talabi.
The colourful event, which also doubled as the initiativeโs Christmas celebration, featured presentation of awards and appreciation funds to volunteers in recognition of their dedication, commitment, and selfless service to humanity.
Speaking at the event, Rev. Eledan reaffirmed the organisationโ๐ด commitment to caring for the elderly and the underprivileged, describing the ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ ๐ข๐ด ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง GRIIโs contribution to societal development.
โWe will not relent in showing love and care to the elderly and those in need. This is our own way of giving back and strengthening the fabric of our society,โ she said.
In his remarks, Apostle Eledan explained that the programmes of Grace Relief Initiative International are all-encompassing, designed to meet the needs of youths, men, women, and vulnerable populations.
โThis is a vision God has placed in our hands, and we take delight in impacting lives positively through it. Arinola Kitchens is a programme that brings together both male and female volunteers to serve humanity,โ he stated.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Fiaz Masih, Coordinator of GRII and Arinola Kitchens Programme in Pakistan, described the initiative as impactful and inspiring.
โThis is a very nice and fabulous programme. I truly enjoyed it. The volunteers are being appreciated for the great work they do, and that is commendable,โ he said.
Dr. Masih noted that Arinola Kitchens goes beyond food provision, serving as a platform for sharing love, hope, and the message of Christ.
โArinola Kitchens is not only about supporting the elderly; it is also about sharing love, hope, and the Good News of Christ,โ he added.
He further praised the founders for their exceptional compassion, describing them as people with hearts of service. โDr. Eledan and Mama Grace have very kind hearts. If I say they have hearts like that of Jesus Christ, I will not be wrong,โ he remarked.
The vision of Arinola Kitchens, organisers emphasised, is not limited to providing food and basic needs but focuses on delivering total care and restoring dignity to elderly persons in need.
