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<\/a><\/p>\nStories of Honor is a Fort Worth Report weekly series spotlighting 12 Tarrant County veterans<\/a> who are serving beyond the uniform.<\/p>\n We also are highlighting nonprofits<\/a> recommended by the veterans.<\/p>\n In November, the veterans will gather for a luncheon where the Report will honor their service at the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington.<\/p>\n \u201cI get bored in my house, now I have somewhere to come to,\u201d Cramer said.\u00a0<\/p>\n That \u201csomewhere\u201d is Dorsey\u2019s House. A day center<\/a> founded by Barbara Dorsey, to give adults struggling with mental health, isolation or housing instability a place to stay safe. At Dorsey\u2019s, Cramer crochets, watches movies, and talks to people who\u2019ve faced similar struggles.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt helps for frustration, anxiety and depression,\u201d Cramer said. \u201cIt helps me through so many situations.\u201d<\/p>\n The center isn\u2019t 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\u2019t: community.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n But what keeps Cramer and others coming back is Miss Barbara.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe all love Miss Barbara,\u201d Cramer said. \u201cHer attitude. Her character. She motivates me to be a good person.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019s House and began caring for others.<\/p>\n \u201cI started working for other clients and I fell in love with it,\u201d Dorsey said.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n The work is demanding, but the mission keeps her going.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen my clients tell me how much they love and appreciate me, it motivates me to keep doing what I\u2019m doing,\u201d she said. \u201cEven case workers will share positive words.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cShe said she didn\u2019t need clothes, just food,\u201d Dorsey said. \u201cI brought her in, showered her, and gave her clothes and food. That moment told me to keep going.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Henrietta Johnson, another regular at Dorsey\u2019s House, said the center allows her to be free. Compared to other facilities, she said, the difference is the sense of belonging.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to me because it gets me out the house,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cWhen I was depressed at home, I would sleep all day.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnson suffers from neuropathy, making it hard for her to feel her hands and feet, but that doesn\u2019t stop her from connecting with others.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Barbara tells me to call her whenever I\u2019m feeling a certain way,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cNobody else has ever told me that.\u201d<\/p>\n For both Cramer and Johnson, Dorsey\u2019s House is more than a facility, it\u2019s home.<\/p>\n Even on days when Dorsey doesn\u2019t know where funding will come from, her motivation stays simple.<\/p>\n \u201cThis right here,\u201d she said looking around the room at her clients. \u201cThis is why I do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Orlando Torres is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at orlando.torres@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Goss-DorseysHouse-06.jpg\")
Members play games and rest July 17, 2025, at Dorsey\u2019s House Adult Day Center in east Fort Worth. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Goss-DorseysHouse-01.jpg\")
A mural is painted on the inside of Dorsey\u2019s House Adult Day Center on July 17, 2025, in east Fort Worth. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n
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