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reflecting on her career and her life.
“I was not happy with work,” she recalls. The compa-
ny she had been with for 12 years had recently sold
and although there was no one reason why she was not
happy in her job, the fact remained that she wasn’t happy
with that aspect of her life.
Her husband, John Locke asked her, “What’s wrong?”
Her reply was, “Nothing.”
“My husband is retired from the Navy and he’s now
with Lockheed Martin,” Locke said. “He said, ‘Why don’t
you take off for a while? You know, we can do that.”
Locke longed to go into volunteer work. She wanted
to do something to help other people who were battling
cancer. She was looking around for a charitable organi-
zation, one she could help, a place where she could do
some volunteer work.
Locke did some volunteer work, but she didn’t find it
to be an emotionally rewarding experience.
Locke’s husband found out through the Internet
that Dr. Gunter participated in the Careity Foundation
Celebrity Cutting event. The Lockes bought tickets to the
event.
“I wondered if they needed help?”
“We bought tickets and I met Beverly Branch,” Locke
said. “There was just something about her. I said to her, ‘I
have volunteered with another charity.’”
She immediately began volunteering for Careity
Foundation.
“The feeling I got from (the co-founders of Careity)
Lyn (Walsh) and Beverly (Branch) was great,” Locke said.
“They’re right here in Parker County. My family and
friends live here.”
Locke loved the fact that the money Careity
Foundation raises in Parker County stays in Parker
County, helping Parker County people in their battle with
cancer.
“I felt like Careity was where I was supposed to
be,” Locke said. “After all, Dr. Gunter is a surgeon for
Careity.”
Locke began volunteering with the Careity Foundation
in March and couldn’t be happier.
“I didn’t need help from Careity, Thank God,” Locke
said. “But through my doctor, I believe I was led to
Careity. I love the work they do and I love the work I do
for Careity. I don’t know how Lyn and Beverly do all that
they do. …What they do with the money they have and
the volunteers they have, I, well, I just don’t know how
they do it. They put out so much work. It’s unreal and it’s
unbelievable how much they care and how much they
do. I feel honored to help. I still get emotional when I talk
about it. Sometimes it’s like it was a long time ago and
sometimes it seems like it happened yesterday. I just want
to help in any and all ways possible.”
What is Careity Foundation? Careity is a non-profit
organization founded in 2003 by Lyn Walsh and Beverly
Branch to provide early detection, personal, holistic,
on-site care and counseling for economically challenged-
cancer patients mostly in Parker, Palo Pinto, Johnson,
Hood and Tarrant Counties.
In 2017, the demand for early detection and services
for local cancer patients escalated tremendously and
Careity was there to help. Careity provided over 7550
direct patient services in 2017. “There are families in
crisis, single parents, dedicated spouses who can no
longer handle the numbing demands of the journey.
The diagnosis is just the beginning of a very long jour-
ney for these cancer patients,” Branch said.
“Our goal is to save lives and stay involved, help-
ing and supporting patients through their journey, giving
families hope and keeping them focused on healing,”
Walsh said.
Careity distinguishes itself by its hands-on approach
to overseeing programs that are personal to its founders.
Branch and Walsh founded Careity after both lost their
mothers to the devastating disease.
Careity Foundation is a Texas 501(c)3 with two initia-
tives. Careity is dedicated to providing onsite support
services in an oncology setting for economically-chal-
lenged cancer patients and through early detection in
North Texas. The Careity Children’s Cancer Fund also
helps families in need and the pediatric palliative care
program is directed at providing relief to children with
devastating diseases and life-threatening illnesses.
Careity’s Awards and Recognition
2017 AFP Outstanding Philanthropic Foundation
2017 Cook Children’s Philanthropy Day Organization of
the Year
2016 Athena Award (Beverly Branch)
Parker County Today “Charity of The Year” three times.
2015 Athena Award (Lyn Walsh)
2014 Small Business of the Year by the Weatherford
Chamber.
Just to name a few.
See more Cover Story on page 18