A non-government foundation, Gift for the Needy and Youth Empowerment Initiative has supported about 150 families in the Ojodu-Berger axis of Lagos by distributing food, shoes and other clothing items to the vulnerable in the spirit of the yuletide.

The food items distributed include rice, semovita, noodles and spaghetti, groundnut oil, tomato paste, salt, and seasoning, among others.

Speaking during the distribution of the items held at Bemil Epiphany Church premises, the Founder/Executive Director of the foundation, Mrs Ololade Olasupo-Gbonegun, said the gesture was one of the ways to mitigate the impact of the economic reforms and challenges faced by many households, especially the less-privileged Nigerians in the outgone year.

She explained that the items distributed will assist the benefiting families in reducing expenditures on essential things needed to celebrate the festive season.

The Executive director appealed to Nigerians to observe the reason for the Yuletide, which was basically to show love to fellow citizens and care for the vulnerable in the community.

She further lauded individuals, volunteers and organisations that have remained committed to supporting the yearly outreach of the foundation.

Olasupo-Gbonegun urged other well-meaning Nigerians to support initiatives aimed at eliminating poverty from society.

“By God’s grace, our organisation’s support to the vulnerable at festive periods has been a yearly custom.

“We are encouraging Nigerians to see poverty eradication as a collective effort and not a gesture to be left for the government.”

“It is through our collective efforts that we can tame hunger in our society even from the little that a person has.

“We must also note that such a gesture will be rewarded by God and so it is never an act of kindness that will be in vain,” she said.

On how the beneficiaries were selected, she explained: “What we usually do is that we first carried out our field research and visited communities.

“We make sure that it is only those who need support that benefit and not just everybody.

“Also to avert stampedes, we deployed a service of security personnel to ensure that the beneficiaries are orderly after making passionate appeals to them in groups not to push one another as there are enough materials to go around.”

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to The Guardian, charged well-meaning Nigerians to show love to fellow citizens in the spirit of the season.

They also commended the foundation for providing succour to the vulnerable members of the society.