For Loretta Barnes, a childhood lesson in compassion set the course of her life.
When Barnes’ grandfather died in 1976, her mother encouraged her to channel her grief into something positive.
“She said, ‘Maybe you should go to one of the nursing homes and volunteer,’” Barnes said. “‘There are lots of folks there who don’t have a grandchild to visit them just like you don’t have a granddaddy to visit.’”
Credit: Phil Skinner
Barnes, who had come to Atlanta from Winder to attend Georgia State University, put on her walking shoes and headed off to volunteer at the Martin Luther King Nursing Home on Auburn Avenue. Just days later, the nursing home offered her a part-time job assisting with activities for residents.
Her simple act of kindness sparked a calling — one that would drive her for the next four decades and beyond.
A ‘country girl’ in the city