HAMLET — Following the birth of their first child, a daughter named Jada, Paula and Tom Thomas needed financial help.
Jada was born 23 weeks premature and diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and the family spent seven months at the Ronald McDonald House in Durham.
The late Elaine Davenport, who was a guidance counselor at Richmond Senior High School at the time, got together with a few others and took up donations for the family, Paula Thomas said.
The Ronald McDonald House became a home away from home while Jada, who is now 16, was hospitalized.
Now, the Thomases have come “full circle … here we are giving back.”
In 2008, Paula Thomas said God gave her a mission to help other families in similar situations and she founded Jada’s Helping Hands Helping Others.
“God gave me this vision, put the right people in my life,” she said.
Through the years, proceeds from fundraisers have gone to the Ronald McDonald House and families with young patients at Lenox Baker Children’s Hospital, Duke Children’s Health Center and Richmond County families with special needs children.
Last year, Thomas said the group helped the family of a local special needs child who lost power for several days following Hurricane Florence.
Each year, Thomas said Jada’s Helping Hands provides Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for a family, buys presents for all the children and gives the parent(s) a gift card to the retail store of their choice. The names of the families are provided by the school system, according to Thomas.
The organization also has a website, jadashelpinghands.org, which features ways to donate or volunteer, as well as testimonials from those who have been helped.
One of the group’s goals in the coming years is to sponsor a room at the Ronald McDonald House.
“We’re not doing it for show,” Thomas said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about showing love.”
She said her husband has been more hands-on since his retirement last year and that their son, Trey, who is 13 months younger than Jada, is “the best big/little brother.”
On Saturday, the organization will hold its 11th annual event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Hamlet.
In addition to the traditional plates of hot dogs, chips, baked goods and a drink, Thomas said there will also be several giveaways.
“Businesses have donated and they have been really generous with the door prizes,” she said.
Some of those include scented candles, a heated foot massager, a blue tooth stereo with a turntable and an Estée Lauder gift basket from Belk.
Thomas encourages all Richmond County residents — especially others with special needs children — to come out to help Jada’s Helping Hands help others.
