Miss Toinpre Elliona Crawford, a young female lawyer from Bayelsa State has thanked God after turning 27, declaring that she would not be alive and living purposefully without God’s love, favour and direction.
Crawford who is the founder of a nonprofit – C.T.E Foundation – said she wanted to do something different and in appreciation to God’s grace in her life to mark her 27th birthday.
So she decided to host a charity outreach for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), widows and widowers through her foundation to commemorate her special day.
While speaking at the event, Miss Crawford said the decision to celebrate differently this year was impelled by a desire to give back to the society.
This year,” says Crawford, “I told myself I wanted it to be different. I wanted to tell God thank you and how else can I do that? It’s by reaching out to people who on a normal day, might be feeling some type of way; I wanted to make it special for them.
“So, this year my birthday is not all about me; it’s about the people out there.”
Crawford who hails from Okpoama in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State added that she was inspired by the portion of the Bible wherein God commanded humans to love their neighbor as they love themselves.
She added that “it’s not about me but it’s about reaching out to persons with disabilities out there.”
The event which was held in Yenagoa was tagged “A Celebration of Impact: Sharing Love, Restoring Hope & Touching Lives.”
Our correspondent reports that there was a distribution of cash gifts, bags of rice, and other food items to members of the PWD Community and other beneficiaries that attended the outreach.
The event was attended by Crawford’s relatives, friends and well-wishers who praised her for reaching out to others.
Crawford’s father, Mr. Crawford Jim Bob while speaking at the event, expressed pride in his daughter’s philanthropic gesture and thanked God for her life, averring that love is the major aspect of humanity in life.
Similarly, her mother and the Federal Commissioner representing Bayelsa at the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC), Hon. Helen Inafa-Bob, pointed out that kindness is what is keeping the society going, praising her daughter for being kind to others.
Later, relatives, friends and beneficiaries in separate goodwill speeches, commended her for the philanthropic initiative and prayed for God’s unending blessings for Crawford.
The event ended with a cake-cutting ceremony and group photographs with beneficiaries, volunteers, and well-wishers.