Brandy Cramer used to sit alone in her house, the hours crawling by. Depression kept her inside. She needed something to break the cycle. Somewhere to stay active.
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“I get bored in my house, now I have somewhere to come to,” Cramer said.
That “somewhere” is Dorsey’s House. A day center founded by Barbara Dorsey, to give adults struggling with mental health, isolation or housing instability a place to stay safe. At Dorsey’s, Cramer crochets, watches movies, and talks to people who’ve faced similar struggles.
“It helps for frustration, anxiety and depression,” Cramer said. “It helps me through so many situations.”
The center isn’t a full-time care facility, but it bridges the gap between independent and assisted living. Clients are often referred by case managers or health workers. Most importantly, it offers what many places can’t: community.
Cramer heard about the facility through her case manager. Unsure what to expect, she started visiting. Soon, it became another place to call home. A typical day starts with breakfast, exercise, then time to relax, chat and be around others.
But what keeps Cramer and others coming back is Miss Barbara.
“We all love Miss Barbara,” Cramer said. “Her attitude. Her character. She motivates me to be a good person.”
Members play games and rest July 17, 2025, at Dorsey’s House Adult Day Center in east Fort Worth. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)
Dorsey, a registered nurse with over 20 years of health care experience, said her calling emerged after caring for her bedridden grandmother. Not long after, she opened Dorsey’s House and began caring for others.
“I started working for other clients and I fell in love with it,” Dorsey said.
Now she runs the center with one staff member plus husband Cedric Dorsey, who helps on Thursdays and Fridays. Funding is tight. The nonprofit recently had to pause food drives and limit transportation services, Barbara said. A new contract is expected to unlock more support.
The Dorsey family has often paid out of pocket to keep the business afloat. Cedric contributes personal funds for food and utilities, Barbara said. A $5,000 donation helped cover staff pay and groceries during a recent gap.
Still, the need is greater. The center needs more funding, volunteers and long-term support, Barbara said. The College of Health Care Professions plans to send interns for hands-on hours, and she hopes to bring on a grant writer soon.
The work is demanding, but the mission keeps her going.
“When my clients tell me how much they love and appreciate me, it motivates me to keep doing what I’m doing,” she said. “Even case workers will share positive words.”
A mural is painted on the inside of Dorsey’s House Adult Day Center on July 17, 2025, in east Fort Worth. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)
One moment still brings her to tears. A few months ago, after a food drive on a cold, rainy day, Barbara and Cedric saw a woman without shoes or shorts outside of the facility.
“She said she didn’t need clothes, just food,” Dorsey said. “I brought her in, showered her, and gave her clothes and food. That moment told me to keep going.”
Henrietta Johnson, another regular at Dorsey’s House, said the center allows her to be free. Compared to other facilities, she said, the difference is the sense of belonging.
“It’s important to me because it gets me out the house,” Johnson said. “When I was depressed at home, I would sleep all day.”
Johnson suffers from neuropathy, making it hard for her to feel her hands and feet, but that doesn’t stop her from connecting with others.
“Miss Barbara tells me to call her whenever I’m feeling a certain way,” Johnson said. “Nobody else has ever told me that.”
For both Cramer and Johnson, Dorsey’s House is more than a facility, it’s home.
Even on days when Dorsey doesn’t know where funding will come from, her motivation stays simple.
“This right here,” she said looking around the room at her clients. “This is why I do it.”
Orlando Torres is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at orlando.torres@fortworthreport.org.
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