There is always HOPE!
Conversations with Barry Herbert are unique interactions that lift your spirits, bring a smile to your face, and fill you with admiration for someone who is truly a role model for courage and perseverance.
Known by most people simply as “Bear”, Barry has been on an arduous medical journey for most of his adult life, seeking treatment for a rare neurological condition that causes strokes and cardiac arrests, often leaving him unable to walk or speak. The resulting physical toll and decreased cognitive function have made it difficult to maintain steady employment.
After losing his wife to cancer and enduring a period of homelessness, Barry and his daughters moved to Prineville. He sought help from Abilitree, a local social services organization dedicated to the empowerment of the disabled community - connecting people, like Barry, to health information and resource options.
“We were experiencing an unusually low time in our lives. Furnish Hope showed up and inserted hope and light into our world, literally filling our cold, austere concrete-floored apartment with furnishings and warmth. Furnish Hope brought a feeling that the future will look better.”
Barry's children are his world, and last year, he proudly welcomed his first grandchild to the family. Barry exudes what he describes as a positive 'heart posture': rather than being burdened by his challenges, he considers himself blessed.
“With the proper eyes to see and the proper ears to hear, disruptions can bring about robust and beautiful blessings, if we can only view them that way. There is always hope.” ~ Barry Herbert
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Help deliver HOPE to hundreds of Central Oregon neighbors with financial support of our Essentials Fund!