Christmas is a time for sharing, gifting those you love and for many, donating to the less fortunate. Good Samaritan Barry Pike is doing just that.
On a trip to the Ranfurly Home yesterday Mr. Pike said,“part of the Bahamas is giving and we are donating necessities. There are things that the children don’t have like shampoos, tooth brushes and toothpaste. Just the necessities, stuff they don’t really have.”
Mr. Pike along with his fiancé Colleen Crawford and Deidre Roache, a friend, visited three different shelters before arriving to the Ranfurly Homes yesterday.
“This is our third trip today. We started at another orphanage. We went to the Nazareth Center and the Old Folk’s Home and we have one more stop after this. We are going to the Humane Society. We bought 120 pounds of dog food for the dogs,” Mr. Pike told The Journal.
He said “we went to the Old Folks home today and I spent the last two weeks baking for these people and we bought packages; and we gave every single person, plus some extra packages of carrot cake muffins and trays of cookies.
“We just looked around and they really didn’t have enough food for Christmas. I talked to the Reverend there and she said; “we have no food”.”
After speaking with the Reverend at The Old Folk’s Home, a resolved Mr. Pike, persistent to make a difference and lend a helping hand went to Super Value to purchase more groceries for the needy.
“We jumped in the car and we went to Super Value. We went in and bought Turkeys, Hams; all sorts of stuff, like $4 hundred dollars worth of stuff.
“Well, Mr. Roberts found out what we were doing and he just saved me $4 hundred dollars. Mr. Roberts said, “you’re not going to pay for that. Super Value is going to donate the food to The Old Folks Home. This is what Christmas is all about,” Mr. Pike shared.
Mr. Pike also stated that he and his family have an awful lot and they have been very blessed in life and wants to give back.
After seeing the kids (at the orphanages), we are going to be sharing with those kids. Maybe they will have a better chance at life if we help them out.
Ms. Crawford also shared her experience with The Bahama Journal.
“We are responsible for packing all the gift bags for the beautiful kids, but there is one story that really stood out today for us.
“A little girl came up to me at the Nazareth Center and ran in my arms; I couldn’t stop crying and as we were leaving a little boy ran out to the truck and said, ‘Take me home with you’. It made me cry.
“These kids are so beautiful and we have a lot; so let’s spread the love this Christmas,” Ms. Crawford said.
Recently obtaining his Bahamian permanent residency, Mr. Pike expressed that he wanted to become part of The Bahamas more. Mr. Pike and his fiancé are both originally from Toronto, Canada.
Ranfurly Homes Administrator, Alexander Roberts expressed his gratitude for the donation Mr. Pike has given saying,
“on my arrival on the property this morning, I was told that Mr. Barry Pike and his family had made a considerable donation to the children in terms of Christmas Gifts.
“I want to say on behalf of the children, in particular, and the board and the staff in general, how grateful we are for this act of kindness. I’m sure it will go a long way to bring joy in the hearts of the children,” Mr. Roberts told The Bahama Journal.
During the Christmas season, The Ranfurly Home generally receives individual gifts for the children from private people.
Moreover, annually, it costs an excess of $5 hundred thousand dollars a year to run the orphanage. An annual raffle is conducted which raise between $70 to $120 thousand dollars a year. The orphanage also receives a government grant in the amount of $102 thousand dollars.
Mr. Roberts is hopeful for an additional $300 thousand dollars from the generosities from indivuals and corporations at home and abroad.
The Ranfurly Home caters to high school age children as young as eleven to over eighteen years.
“As long as they are in high school, they have a home here,” Mr. Roberts said.
