From a shade tree to a home is the recent story of 64-year-old Johnny Barrett.
Living with his aging dog on the outskirts of McMinnville city limits, most of Johnny’s days were spent in the front yard in the shade of a mature oak tree.
To passersby, he was simply a man enjoying time outside. Unbeknown to most, he was actually escaping the heat of the abandoned house which was without electricity and water. Nor was it obvious that Johnny is a stroke victim which has left him physically debilitated and with a slight speech impediment since 2012.
Never married or having children, there are no living family members with the physical or financial means to assist him.
For most of those years, he was assisted by his longtime love and companion only known as Linda. It was only after she succumbed to cancer in early 2021 that things grew progressively worse for Johnny.
Sadly, with the lasting physical and mental effects of the stroke, he was left to the devices of mere acquaintances who passed him from person to person until he was finally left as abandoned as the house in which he dwelled.
Compounding this predicament, his bank account was hundreds of dollars overdrawn without clear understanding as to the cause. It was surely a desperate situation.
Due to the kindness of a concerned neighbor, Tommy Roller, Johnny Barrett’s life was about to change. Roller called to inquire about how HOME could assist Johnny with what seemed to be a hopeless situation.
For a time, he was immediately sheltered in a motel. Brandy Fann, who is a volunteer and who happened to be his mail carrier, began working feverishly on behalf of Johnny. She began to rectify his banking and financial situation.
Assisted by her daughter India Fann, they began the process of obtaining and completing applications for housing while ensuring Johnny and his beloved dog had enough food.
“I do not know where I would be without her.” said Johnny. “I do not know what it is, but God has a plan for me.”
This past Saturday, Johnny slept in a bed, his bed, and in his own apartment.
Thanks to Brandy and many others who rallied around him supporting his cause and donating necessities, Johnny Barret’s next chapter will be entitled “A Home.”
