Filling a Need

Ronnie Baine Builds Ramps, Handrails for Those in Need

There’s a story behind every ramp, deck, and handrail Ronnie Baine has built, and he remembers them all.

There was a man whose struggle to maneuver the steps leading to his home’s door resulted in his falling and breaking ribs. There was the woman whose arthritis was so severe that she needed a ramp to take her all the way to her car. A veteran using a wheelchair because he couldn’t lift his feet even a few inches off the ground needed a ramp in order to leave his home.

“It doesn’t seem like much, but it makes a difference — gets him in and out of his house,” Baine says of the veteran.

Thumbing through a nondescript notebook or looking through photos on his cellphone, Baine recalls each situation that led him and his band of volunteers to a person’s doorstep to ultimately rebuild the path leading there at no charge.

Baine was recently honored as 1 of the monthly Silent Heroes of the Wiregrass, receiving $1,000 for his good deeds. Silent Heroes of the Wiregrass is a partnership between Wiregrass Electric Cooperative and WTVY to recognize local residents who give back to their communities.

People in need typically find Baine by word of mouth. He gets some referrals through the Southern Alabama Regional Council on Aging. Once he hears a story of someone in need, there’s no walking away.

“You’d have to experience it to know the reason I do it,” Baine says.

Baine began building ramps and handrails for people about 4 years ago. He was serving as pastor at Devco Baptist Church after retiring from a career driving a truck. When his wife retired, he stepped aside as pastor so they could travel. The couple also decided to return to their previous church, Maple Avenue Baptist Church in Geneva. A member of Maple Avenue needed a wheelchair ramp built, and Baine and a few others volunteered to help.

Other construction requests poured in, and eventually, Baine outfitted an enclosed trailer with tools. He says neither he nor his wife has any regrets about spending their retirement helping others instead of traveling.

He works closely with the Men on Missions group at Maple Avenue Baptist. The volunteers who pitch in to help Baine are often with the missions group or with another local church.

While his father was a carpenter, Baine spent most of his working life driving a truck. Along the way, he says he learned a little bit of everything — carpentry, electrical work, plumbing.

“Ramp-building to me just comes naturally. They’re so easy to build,” Baine says. “I guess it was God’s will that that’s what I needed to be doing, and I love doing it so much.”