\u201cThey care. I can say that,\u201d Henry said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just because I volunteered for them for so long. They care about everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
In that moment, Henry became the recipient of the good work he\u2019d supported for over 16 years. In that time, Henry had become one of the primary volunteers for Careity \u2014 doing everything from hauling bags of goods across the region in his trailer to tabling for the nonprofit to being the self-proclaimed muscle, setting up and tearing down for almost every single event.<\/p>\n
His long-lasting dedication to Careity and the patients they serve earned Henry recognition in 52 Faces of Community<\/a>, Fort Worth Report\u2019s weekly series highlighting unsung heroes.<\/p>\n Henry remembers his first time volunteering for Careity \u2014 he served as a ringman for one of their auctions. Henry had experience in that space from his previous career in the cattle industry, so he was charged with taking bids from people in the crowd as the auctioneer rapid-fire chanted his way through the night.<\/p>\n He never looked back.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason I stuck around was because they\u2019re helping people that can\u2019t afford treatment,\u201d Henry said. \u201cIf they weren\u2019t there, people would be dying.\u201d<\/p>\n Careity has worked since 2003 to provide direct patient services and resources to North Texas cancer patients. Services paid for or supported in some way range from mammograms, biopsies and CT lung scans to assistance in securing professional services from oncology masseuses and nurse navigators.\u00a0<\/p>\n There isn\u2019t a singular moment of volunteering for the nonprofit that stands out to Henry, who works as a financial adviser in Parker County. What he remembers are the testimonies of clients and their friends and families.\u00a0<\/p>\n Careity services over 8,000 people a year<\/a>, according to the nonprofit. From those thousands served are stories in which folks proclaim that they wouldn\u2019t be around if it weren\u2019t for the organization.<\/p>\n Know an unsung hero in Tarrant County?<\/p>\n Tell us about them by filling out the form below. <\/p>\n \u201cYou get to talk to so many people, and there\u2019d be people who come by and say, \u2018You helped my aunt,\u2019 \u2018You helped my sister,\u2019 or \u2018You helped a friend,\u2019\u201d Henry said.<\/p>\n The testimonies touch Henry personally. Alongside Peggy\u2019s cancer diagnosis, Henry\u2019s father and mother-in-law also had cancer.<\/p>\n Henry and Peggy both supported Careity\u2019s work. Peggy, a nurse, would provide Branch and Walsh guidance with questions they had about the medical industry, while Henry continued doing the physical labor needed.<\/p>\n \u201cWe both did it together,\u201d Henry recalled.<\/p>\n Both Branch and Walsh note Henry\u2019s willingness \u201cto lend a helping hand wherever needed\u201d has allowed the nonprofit to divide and conquer and continue providing cancer patients with the services they need.<\/p>\n \u201cHis empathy, selflessness, and steadfast dedication are truly remarkable,\u201d Branch and Walsh said in a shared email statement to the Fort Worth Report. \u201cLeon has proven himself to be an exceptional leader who tirelessly invests countless hours to ensure the success of every Careity event and initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n There have been about a dozen volunteers who have been around as long as Henry. And although he reiterates that event volunteer coordination remains under the direction of Branch and Walsh, he is the main one \u2014 sometimes the only one \u2014 providing support for them.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t say no, I just go do it,\u201d Henry said.<\/p>\n Even though some of Careity\u2019s volunteers come and go, Henry said the support from folks like him wanting to put in their time has increased in the years he\u2019s been with the nonprofit.<\/p>\n In that time, Henry took an additional step to support Careity \u2014 10% of his business earnings from his work in the financial world goes to the organization.<\/p>\n \u201cLeon has proven himself to be an exceptional leader who tirelessly invests countless hours to ensure the success of every Careity event and initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n Beverly Branch and Lyn Walsh, nominators<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cWith the Good Lord, you\u2019re supposed to tithe and help those in need,\u201d Henry said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what I do with them.\u201d<\/p>\n The Parker County native plans to continue volunteering \u2014 it was work he and his wife planned to do together after she retired.<\/p>\n Peggy died in January 2020, half a year after Branch and Walsh got her that doctor\u2019s appointment.<\/p>\n Still, for Henry, the work continues. Because the need keeps growing.<\/p>\n \u201cAll I know is we need more volunteers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Ismael M. Belkoura is the nonprofit editor for the Fort Worth Report. His position is supported by a grant from North Texas Community Foundation. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_8121-edited-1024x683.jpg\")
Leon Henry holds a bag with the Careity Foundation logo. (Ismael M. Belkoura | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n\n