My Friend Jim

It was a normal day when I walked into a building for lease at 900 Cripple Creek Drive in Lawrenceville in 2018. As soon as I toured it I knew it was perfect for the new home of Across The Bridge. Now if only I could convince the building owner that we would be a worthy tenant. So far others had turned their back on us.

That's when I met Jim Walker, a fellow Viet Nam veteran who was a huge advocate for veterans and later as I would see, a man with a very big heart. I told him, being completely honest, that if he let us lease it we would be bringing in a band of misfits, drug users, alcoholics, and those with mental health issues. But we had no problems in the church we were in and had a track record of great success.

When he called me to say he was taking a chance on us his words were "I think you will do more good for people than a church would". Kind words, but when he asked me when we would move in I had to pause because I did not have the money raised yet to do so. After a few days donors chipped in and thus began a journey of partnership that now seven years later has seen over 280,000 people come through the doors of Jim Walkers building to find hope and healing. 

Unfortunately Jim passed away on October 31st, but his vision and generosity will not be forgotten. Not only did he eventually lease us the entire building but he became a donor when addiction hit his own family. Then we began to help veterans, then we became good friends and then he helped me as well get benefits from the VA. And then, like that good soldier he was, he made sure he extended our lease before he left for heaven.

He will be missed, but we will sustain his legacy by naming our main meeting area The Walker Room. And each day I am there I will tap that plaque hanging in his honor knowing he will help thousands more and say "well done brother, look what you started, look what that God that you loved so much has done".

Love you Jim, save some room for the rest of us up there please!