Two Richmond County residents were honored at a ceremony on Wednesday for their support and services to the needy and homeless in the Richmond County area.

The homeless shelter in Rockingham has been renamed “The Baker House” after John and Helen Baker, who have been active with the programs since coming to the area several years ago.

“It truly is an honor,” John Baker said. “Not just for us, but for the volunteers that have spent hours and hours helping here.”

The couple was recognized by The Board of Directors of the Richmond County Mental Health Society Inc., of which John is the president.

According to John, he didn’t realize the building was going to be renamed after them until everything was planned and everyone told him about it.

“They’re very humble people,” Rene Rohleder, volunteer program director for the Richmond County Mental Health Society said.

At the reception, members of the community, friends and former co-workers were in attendance to watch as they unveiled a new sign for the homeless shelter and thanked the Baker’s for their contributions.

“They’ve been family to us,” Helen Baker said. “We have children in four different states and they all could our kids in here.”

The Baker House is located on South Hancock Street in Rockingham and is also home to the men’s shelter and a soup kitchen for the homeless and needy.

“It’s scary to know some of these people have no place else to go,” John said.

According to Rohleder, the Baker’s have spent much of their adult lives dedicated to helping in soup kitchens, homeless shelters and helping the needy.

“People in some communities have never been hungry, never been cold,” John said. “All this work was not a great sacrifice for us.”