THOMASVILLE, N.C. — It was a little late for Veterans Day, a little early for Christmas. But when Bill Dorrity arrived at the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina in Thomasville to give handmade wooden wagons to more than 100 excited children, that was a blessed day.
Dorrity, 86, has made and given away more than a thousand little wagons over the last seven years, since he saw someone give stuffed animals to children in an orphanage. Now he spends many hours in his workshop in Goose Creek, S.C., making wagons of plywood and PVC pipe for various organizations.
Veteran Bill Dorrity, who built more than 150 wagons for Baptist Children’s Homes, gives the first cart to Weekday Education student Jessica. |
But the presentation at the Baptist Children’s Homes on Nov. 16 meant more to him than any of the others, because it was the first time he had delivered wagons in person.
“This was the most celebrated delivery I’ve ever been involved with,” Dorrity told a local newspaper reporter, saying how much he enjoyed seeing the children’s excitement. “If it wasn’t for the Lord, I wouldn’t do this. Jesus loves the little children. I’m doing it for the children.”
That personal encounter was exactly what the staff at the Baptist Children’s Homes wanted. They arranged a special event for about 125 young children who are in the daily preschool education program at Mills Home or in Baptist Children’s Homes residential programs.
Blake Ragsdale, BCH director of communications, said that in addition to meeting the daily needs of children and, in many cases, their families, the Baptist Children’s Homes strives to “introduce God’s love into the equation.”
It’s important, he said, for the children to know that God loves them, and that through Christ, there is hope for a better future.
For an adult like Bill Dorrity to give them handmade red wagons is another testament to that love and hope. “Some of the children we serve have happy and healthy families, but others have experienced some sort of trauma or crisis. It is so important to these children, especially, to see somebody show them love, show them that there are people out there who have their best interests at heart and that they are loved by more people than they can ever imagine.”
Rashanya with her 5-month-old daughter Illanah. Rashanya and her daughter live at BCH’s Mills Home campus in Thomasville and are part of the Family Care residential program. |
The Children’s Homes encourages such direct contact. “Whenever it’s appropriate, when we have adults who want to do something special and they want to do some act of kindness, we love for our children and the folks who are making that overture to be able to meet,” Rags-dale said. “I don’t think there is a much bigger blessing than the child being able to see the person who has given this gift to them, and sometimes it’s a bigger blessing for the person who is doing the giving.
Dorrity was “extremely touched” by his experience that day. So was his freind George Patton “Pat” Waters, a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War and the grandson of Gen. George S. Patton. Waters flew Dorrity in his private plane to North Carolina for the presentation. A woman who worships with Dorrity at Summerville (N.C.) Church of Christ made dolls and stuffed animals to ride in the wagons.
Baptist Children’s Homes hAs evolved since the Baptist Orphanage opened in Thom-asville more than 125 years ago. Today, BCH serves children and families at 18 locations across North Carolina. Few of the children are orphans in the sense that both parents are dead. Some come to the facilities as part of the state’s pre-kindergarten program. Others live there at least temporarily. Some have a loving parent who needs help getting on her feet. Others have suffered neglect or abuse, or have family members who are unable to care for them. When possible, the BCH works to reunite families.
Michael Blackwell, the longtime president, often says that today, the Baptist Children’s Homes “serves orphans of the living.”
Childcare workers will tell you that without God’s love, hope and true healing would be next to impossible,” Rags-dale said.
That’s why Dorrity’s visit was so welcome. “It’s extremely meaningful for a child to see an adult, especially somebody they don’t even know, to want to come and show God’s love to them through an act of kindness,” Ragsdale said. “These people who do terrific things for our children are the hands and feet of Christ.”
Linda Brinson ([email protected]) is a Religious Herald contributing writer, based in Madison, N.C.