SNOHOMISH – A second chance is a gift.
Dan Bates / The Herald
About 11 years ago, Bruce Karr, 56, was ready to die. He needed a heart transplant, and doctors said he had just a few weeks to live.
Karr, a construction worker, discussed his funeral with his family. He even picked out a suit to wear in his casket.
Then, for unknown reasons, his heart stabilized.
| Farm Youth Outreach plans a Christmas party for shelter children and their parents in Snohomish, Skagit and King counties from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 17. The nonprofit ministry is seeking donations to buy presents for children. Mail or drop off checks at 11212 92nd St. SE, Snohomish, WA 98290. For more information, call Bruce Karr at 360-568-5120. |
“I think God gave me a second chance,” the Snohomish native said.
The experience convinced him that it was time to carry out his dream.
Karr combined his grandmother’s old farm with land donated by a veterinarian to begin Farm Youth Outreach in Snohomish. Karr said he wanted to make a difference in children’s lives.
“I just wanted to make a bigger footprint,” he said.
The 5-acre property is now a place where troubled children bring their heartaches, have fun and make friends, said Karr, who buys more than 100 hamburgers a week to feed whoever visits the farm.
Over the years and with the help of volunteers, the nonprofit ministry has added attractions for children, including a small baseball diamond, a sand volleyball court, minigolf and a big tent.
On Dec. 17, Karr and other volunteers will host a Christmas party for several hundred children and their parents who live in shelters in Snohomish, Skagit and King counties.
“They appreciate what we do so much more than other kids do,” Karr said.
Children will be served a dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes and pie. And kids can sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. Afterward, organizers will try to match the children’s wishes with donated presents, and deliver them to shelters, Karr said.
The outreach facility is open 24 hours a day seven days a week, said Karr.
Running the place is his way of commemorating the memory of his grandmother, Karr said.
Grace Reed, who died of a stroke in the 1980s, raised four children as a single mother and taught Sunday school at church. Reed, who loved people, especially children, always helped others, Karr said. As a boy, he would seek refuge at her small farm when he had troubles at home.
The grandmother was quiet and stood about 5 feet tall, but she seemed to Karr much taller because of what she stood for.
“My grandmother was a constant servant of people,” Karr said.
So is Karr, thanks to his second chance.
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