In Memory of Barry Birch (4/11/43 - 3/31/15)
Barry Birch, the co-founder of Birch Community Services, passed away on March 31st, 2015.
Barry served as the Executive Director of BCS for its first thirteen years and stayed on as a key volunteer after his “retirement” in 2005. Barry loved to see a spark of generosity result in blessing families in need. He loved to drive BCS trucks to pick up product donations around the Northwest and, most particularly, loved the people he met in the process. He richly loved people with a compassionate and gentle spirit as he himself had been loved. Barry was a faithful steward of the BCS donation hotline for over two decades and could often be found in the warehouse, praying for someone.
At the age of 40, Barry lost nearly everything as a result of selfish choices and addictive behavior. God placed special people in his life for that dark time and held him accountable and responsible to surrender his life to God and make better choices. Little did he know that this accountability and responsibility would become a business model for him and Suzanne eight years later when they received a bag of squished bread on their front porch and passed it on to three families who were deciding between feeding their children or paying their electric bill. God uniquely matched their abilities with their responsibilities. You can learn more about the history of BCS here.
Media about Barry’s life
The Oregonian
A life in two acts: Birch Community Services co-founder discovered redemption in a loaf of bread
The Gresham Outlook
Birch Community Services Co-Founder, Barry Birch
