The family of Tony Elumelu has donated food items to orphanages across Lagos, Edo and Delta states as part of its end-of-year humanitarian outreach.The donation exercise, which covered six orphanages in Lagos State and three each in Edo and Delta states, was flagged off in Lagos by the Chairperson of Avon Healthcare Limited, Dr Awele Elumelu, at the Hearts of Gold Children Hospice, Masha, Surulere.

The items distributed included essential food staples, notably 1,730 bags of rice and 290 bags of beans, aimed at supporting vulnerable children and easing the burden on caregivers as they prepare for the new year.

The beneficiary orphanages in Lagos include Hearts of Gold Children Hospice; Little Saints Orphanage, Surulere; SOS Children’s Village, Isolo; Living Fountain Orphanage; Adiel Children’s Home, Ilupeju; and Compassionate Orphanage, Egbeda.

In Delta State, the beneficiaries included facilities linked to the FMC School of Nursing in Onicha-Uku, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Onicha-Uku and other communities within the area.

During the presentation, Dr Elumelu expressed gratitude to God for the year and commended caregivers for their resilience despite prevailing economic challenges.

“We thank God for this season, a season of joy and peace. We know it has not been easy. Things have been tough in 2025, but through your efforts and the support of others, you have been able to cope, and we thank God for you,” she said.

She noted that the donation was the family’s modest contribution to supporting orphaned and vulnerable children as the country transitions into a new year filled with hope.

“As we go into a new year, we pray for more strength for you to continue the good work you are doing. We do our little bit, but we need more people to help. We pray for more helpers,” Elumelu added.

She explained that the initiative was deliberately extended beyond Lagos to Delta State, where she and her husband hail from, as well as Edo State, stressing that the needs of vulnerable children cut across the country.

“We can never do too much or do enough, but at least let us do what we can. The more you do, God will help you to do more,” she said. In her remarks, the Founder of Hearts of Gold Children’s Hospice, Mrs Laja Adedoyin, expressed appreciation to the Elumelu family for their continued support, noting that assistance received earlier in the year had helped the hospice remain operational despite rising costs.

“God is taking care of these children, but He does so through the support we receive. You came in January, and what you have sown has helped us get to where we are today,” she said.

Adedoyin disclosed that donations to the hospice are largely channelled into medical care, noting that the facility operates as both a healthcare and social support centre.

“We have in-house doctors and nurses. On a daily basis, there are medical issues that require hospital care or care within the home. There is hardly a day we don’t have to buy medicine,” she said.

She further clarified the unique role of the facility, stressing that it is not an orphanage but a specialised medical hospice for children with complex health needs.

“We are not an orphanage; we are a hospice, a home for children with special needs, especially medical needs. Some of my children have Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, myocephalus and other congenital abnormalities. Many of them live with multiple disabilities,” she explained. She added that the children under her care are often those society finds difficult to accept.

“These are the children people look at and want to look away from, but they are human beings and they exist. I have heard people say such children don’t exist, but they do and they are alive,” she said.