Barbara Walker: Blessed to be a blessing
Barbara Walker has always had a calling to help others. As director of a homeless family shelter for The Dimock Center, she spent her days helping women and children who needed a new start in life. At the time, she couldn’t have imagined she would someday find herself in need of a new place to live. But that’s exactly what happened when a surprising diagnosis of stage IV metastatic lung cancer — and the ensuing surgery and chemotherapy — made it impossible for her to return to work.
Barbara moved into a rooming house which quickly became cramped with Barbara moved into a rooming house, which quickly became cramped with oxygen tanks and other medical equipment. She prayed for a larger place to live but was resigned to wait on the answer. With time, she qualified for a perfect apartment in Brighton. For the staff at 2Life it felt especially good to be able to find a way to give back to someone whose life has been about serving others.
“The Lord has blessed me with being here, and it’s been amazing,” Barbara says. “The employees, the staff — they really care about the residents. The amenities and services keep you active, and the staff work with you if you’re having an issue with your Social Security, your Medicare, your finances, or whatever. My health has gotten so much better since I moved here. This is like an oasis.”
Barbara says her move to 2Life has also empowered her to return to her calling.
“I wasn’t even supposed to [be alive] now. But I’m here and I can help others.” - Barbara Walker
“When I first arrived at Brighton, I kind of felt like a fish out of water with all the different cultures and languages,” Barbara recalls. “But as I started growing a little more and saying good morning to my neighbors and asking how they are, people were very receptive to me. Now they even ask me to pray for them or their family members. And my church family and I are working on a project to help some of the residents who’ve been affected by what’s going on in Ukraine and Russia. I want to give my blessings to others so they can be blessed. It would defeat the purpose of me being here on Earth if I didn’t.”
