Yuletide: Church empowers 30 widows with food, cash

About 30 widows have benefited from the Christmas outreach of Gateway International Church (GIC) Women’s Ministry, which distributed food items and cash to ease the beneficiaries’ burden during the festive season.
 
The widows, drawn from various groups within the ministry, received rice and beans, vegetable oil, salt and cash, among other items, at a brief ceremony last Sunday.
 
Expressing appreciation, the beneficiaries described the gesture as timely and uplifting, offering prayers for the church leadership and members. They thanked the Lead Pastor, George Izunwa, and Dr Manuela Izunwa, for what they described as purposeful leadership and consistent teachings on compassion and service to humanity.
 
Addressing the widows, President of the GIC Women’s Ministry, Meg Lawal, said the outreach was aimed at identifying with widows, particularly at a period often marked by heightened economic pressure.
 
She noted that the intervention was solely driven by the Women’s Ministry, adding that the church runs several year-round initiatives focused on empowerment, poverty alleviation and community support.
  
According to her, one of the church’s flagship initiatives is the Random Acts of Kindness (ROAK) project, through which departments, house fellowships, groups and the entire church carry out humanitarian activities across communities, markets and streets.
 
Lawal said the women were motivated to put smiles on the faces of widows during the Christmas season and reassured them of support and solidarity.
  
She prayed for the widows and their children, asking that joy, stability and success remain in their homes, and urged the beneficiaries to continue to pray for those who made the outreach possible.
  
The Women’s Ministry executive members later paid a courtesy visit to the Lead Pastor to appreciate him for his unwavering support, encouragement and teachings on impactful service.
  
Responding, Izunwa gave thanks to God and commended the Women’s Ministry for its commitment and for faithfully advancing the vision of the church.
  
He urged the women to remain steadfast in their good works and prayed for God’s abundant blessings upon them.