For the love of it
SOMEWHERE between the driven air and the demeanor of Mother Teresa lies the kindness and grace of a caregiver who takes care of children simply “for the love for it”. Dorrett Black, kids counsellor at Beaches Negril Resort & Spa, has been adored by guests as she focuses on assuring them that their children are well taken care of.
Ask anyone who knows her and words such as dependable and service-oriented are likely to pop up.
Black knew from quite young that whatever career path she chose would include children.
“I love to take care of children. My job is an easy one because I love what I do. I would have it no other way,” she said.
Apart from living her passion for children, Black hopes to one day own her own day-care centre. She believes apart from the formal training, one must be patient, tolerant and understand the child’s needs in order to become the best caregiver.
Black grew up in the small community of Mount Airy District in Westmoreland and is the fifth child of six.
She faced much hardship during her early adult life after losing her mother to cancer at the age of 20.
She then became pregnant and was a stay-at-home mom to her son and her nephew and niece who also lost their father at an early age.
While at home, Black found herself volunteering at the basic school which was located across the street from her home. It struck her that this is what she enjoyed.
The opportunity and timing was right when she heard of a vacancy for kids camp coordinator at Beaches Negril. She was one of the first employees hired by then General Manager Jeff McKitty at the resort in 1997.
She was under observation for the first few days on the job. Obviously excited about her new role for the first time, she impressed the executive team at the resort.
“I love my guests and I love to take care of their children. I look forward to meeting especially the repeat guests in the lobby to welcome them home,” she said. It is no wonder that many, including travel agents, make special request to have Black take care of their client’s children.
Today, general manager Carl Hendriks lists Black as the perfect example of how to extend quality customer service. “She does well because she truly cares about those she serves,” he said.
Recognised for her ability to “wow her guests and their children”, Black was sent to Beaches Turks and Caicos in 2001 for eight weeks to assist with the kids camp. Though she loved the idea of being abroad, she became homesick and returned to Jamaica.
What makes her stand out is her ability to take care of children who are physically and mentally challenged. “Children who are autistic or have Downs Syndrome are my favourite. What I realise is that they are most loving and tend to show their affection even more,” she said.
Black always has a broad smile on her face which confirms the appreciation and love she has for her job. She talks about a family that returns to the resort each year. She explained that the young boy in the family is autistic and she looks forward to the times when he would sing, You are my sunshine… to her.
“Do you know how that makes me feel?” she asked.
She chuckles when she jokingly states that her job has her “on call”. This is somewhat true as she is always the person called when a child becomes sick while on vacation. She never turns a blind eye to those who need help, and was recognised for her efforts with the title ‘Mother of the Year’ in 2007.
Black’s commitment to her work has also earned her other awards such as the general manager’s award for the quarter and for the year, Kids Camp Award.
This extrovert also finds time to give back to the community. She participates in the resorts’ outreach programmes. Her most recent involvement was to assist the resort in renovating the maternity ward at the Savanna-la-mar Public Hospital.
Black is truly a star and continues to have a heart for serving others. She does it well simply “because of the love for it”.
