By Sherrie Norris
McKenna Gragg of Boone is known for her love for children and making sure they receive the best of care in any situation. Since a child herself, Gragg has had a heart for serving others and at no time has that been more evident than in her recent decision to leave Boone for an ultimate childcare experience.
“I am planning to go to Johannesburg, South Africa in July to spend a few months volunteering at Door of Hope children’s home,” Gragg shared recently with High Country Press.
Door of Hope, she explained, is a Christian nonprofit organization that has been open for nearly a quarter of a century and has saved over 1500 infants from abandonment.
“They created the first baby drop box that allows mothers to give their baby up anonymously and safely, rather than abandoning them on the street,” she said.
Gragg first heard about DOH while on a youth mission trip with her church group at Mount Vernon Baptist Church.
“We went to Fort Caswell (in Southport) for Deep Impact missions camp every summer, and each year they would play videos about different mission opportunities. DOH is partnered with NC Baptist Men, so a video of the orphanage was shown each year.”
Many youngsters might have given it all a fleeting glance, some may have taken it more seriously, but for Gragg, involvement became a life goal.
“I remember feeling so heartbroken that abandonment of infants was such an issue in South Africa,” she said. “At that time, I thought it would be so cool to visit DOH, but it did not seem possible to me as a sixth grader!”
Fast forward several years. “God has been preparing my heart since that time and has now paved the way for me to accomplish this dream,” she said with unmatched enthusiasm.
Her passion for working with children began while she was still a child, volunteering Sunday mornings in the nursery at Mount Vernon with her mother.
“I loved playing with the babies and learning how to take care of them with the help of my mom and other childcare workers, including Mary Ruble, Cindy Rutherford, Flo Hollingsworth,” she said. “I continued being involved in the church’s children’s ministry and started babysitting for local families, too.”
this year. Photo submitted
Gragg’s opportunities to care for children grew, as did her passion, she described. Eventually, she decided to pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education at Caldwell Community College.
“I started working at Kid Cove preschool in 2018 as a drop-off childcare worker, and now six years later, I am the 3-5 year old lead teacher at Kid Cove’s full day facility!”
Gragg graduated from CCC&TI with her associate’s degree and plans to graduate in May from Western Carolina University’s distance Birth-Kindergarten Education program.
“Through my courses and hands-on experiences at Kid Cove under our director Halee Hartley’s guidance and the assistance of my amazing coworkers, I’ve learned so much about the development of children and how they learn,” Gragg explained.
And now, she plans to take that love and knowledge around the world where she can hopefully make a difference in the lives of many more children.
“I plan to be in South Africa from the beginning of July through the middle of November, but trips that exceed 90 days require a visa,” she shared. “I’m currently working on this process, but I won’t know the exact length of my trip until I submit my application at the SA Embassy in New York and get approved — or not — for the visa.” And, yes, she is currently planning a trip to the Big Apple to accomplish that task.
And, since this is totally volunteer work, Gragg has begun raising funds for the cost of her trip, which includes airfare, housing, rental car, gas, groceries, and more.
The total cost of the trip will depend on her length of stay, but she currently estimates that she will need between $3000-$5000.
“After posting about my trip on social media, I have been blown away at the support I have already raised,” she said.
But we have learned that it’s only a drop in the bucket. This is a great opportunity for the High Country community and beyond to be a part of an amazing mission project.
Gragg is accepting donations through cash/check in person or in the mail, her Venmo is @McKenna-Gragg, and her PayPal @McKennaGragg.
She has also been selling T-shirts designed by Emma Pinnix.
(More information can be found regarding availability on her Facebook (McKenna Gragg).
In the meantime, Gragg said that she would love to meet with anyone — families, friends, civic/church groups — who might be interested in donating, so she can share with them how dear this is to her heart —”And how much I appreciate their support.”
Even more than financial need, Gragg stressed, she is asking for prayers as she prepares for her trip.
“My prayer requests include a smooth visa process, continued fundraising success, physical health and safety while I am there, and for everyone who is already in South Africa: the DOH leaders and volunteers, the babies, and their mothers.”
To learn more about DOH, reach out to Gragg or visit https://doorofhope.co.za/
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