St. George Daily Spectrum, UT
Aug 5 2007
Devoted to loving his neighbors
By BRITTANY DUNCAN
[email protected]
ST. GEORGE – Barton Brooks is a man with very few of his own
possessions, but he has decided to devote his life to helping others
around the world less fortunate than himself.
"He has no money himself and yet he’s out there trying to get people
to help him help people," said Carla Brooks, Barton’s mother.
Barton grew up in St. George and graduated from Dixie High School,
and his family instilled the value of other cultures from a young
age.
His grandmother’s Armenian heritage was a factor in Barton developing
his deep understanding of other cultures.
Barton and his grandmother both loved traveling and both believed in
never judging other country’s traditions.
"My mother always said you need to love everyone," Carla Brooks said.
"We taught that with our children and were very conscious of having
our children raised with a lot of culture."
Barton later attended Dixie College, the University of Utah, and the
Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. He spent many years
traveling around the world and developed a desire to help all these
places he had grown to love.
It was when Barton was exploring part of Cambodia that he decided to
found his own nonprofit volunteer organization called Global Colors.
"I couldn’t find anyone who could help me accomplish my goals to
fulfill needs in countries around the world," Barton said.
So, Barton sold his 1965 Shelby Cobra replica to cover the expenses
of Global Colors’ first projects. A sacrifice he admits wasn’t easy,
but still worth it. Barton hasn’t let his organization become
detached. All of Global Colors’ projects are handpicked.
"I try to find some little interesting story that’s going on in the
world, with some little local group that’s trying to help their own
people," Barton said. "Then, I try to connect them with people like
Laura Bush, or friends in Hollywood, so the whole country can now see
what this little group is trying to accomplish to help their own
people."
In June of this year, the first lady, Laura Bush, visited Senegal
with Barton and Global Colors to see his collaboration with
Development in Gardening.
"We build vegetable gardens next to hospitals to provide patients
with nutrition," Barton said. "Nutrition is a missing component of
HIV treatment."
Barton believed the project was a perfect match for the first lady.
Laura Bush spent most of the day with Global Colors at the hospital.
She toured the garden as the workers picked vegetables to prepare the
patient’s meals and she later met with HIV patients privately.
Barton’s best friend from childhood, Derek Booth, is a Secret Service
agent for the White House. The first lady’s trip to Senegal was
initiated by Booth’s comment to Laura Bush’s press secretary about
Global Colors.
The first lady has since worked with Global Colors to present
information to the United Nations about the Burmese refugee crisis.
"It was all because Derek wanted to help," Barton said.
Barton attributes Global Colors’ success to the group’s small
infrastructure. People know that Barton or one of his team members is
delivering their money or donated items directly, and there’s no
passing on of the task.
"I really try to connect them with what I’m working on," Barton said.
"If I raise money to give cows to widows in Kenya, I’ll go and
personally give the cow away. Then I’ll come back and show a video
and picture of the woman receiving it to the people who donated."
Barton views people’s contributions as an example of trust. He wants
to make sure the donators know their donations made it to where he
said it would go.
Carla Fox has known Barton and his family ever since she moved to St.
George around 16 years ago. She donated enough money for two cows to
be given to widows in Kenya.
"I just wanted to help him accomplish something that’s been a passion
of his," Fox said. "Whatever Barton decides to do, it’s always a very
good cause."
The contributors to Global Colors believe in Barton. He has led a
life of true sacrifice.
"He would go to the orphanage every Thursday night," Carla Brooks
said. "That was his night out. He would read to the children, play
ball with them, tuck them in and tell them he’d see them next week."
Another friend he’s had since high school, April Hickman, said she
can’t express how much good he does for people. She said he’s a
magnet for orphans.
"He spends a lot of time [in orphanages]," Hickman said. "He just
becomes really close with the kids."
The current projects Barton is devoting his time to are focused on
helping children in hard times.
"We’re building a safe house in Cambodia for children rescued after
being trafficked into the sex trade," Barton said. "We are trying to
remove them from brothels, and then provide a safe place for them to
recover before reintegrating them to normal society."
Many children sold into the sex trade often wind up back in it again,
even after they’ve been rescued just because they have nowhere to go.
Barton hopes the safe house will change the outcome for trafficked
children.
"There are some families on the verge of selling a child because
they’re in such extreme poverty," Barton said. "They can get $700 for
selling a child."
The money a family can make from the sale of a child will support the
rest of their family for almost two years. Global Colors is working
to create jobs for the parents and gathering donations to pay for the
children’s schooling needs.
In a couple of weeks, Barton will be in St. George to visit his
family and to find people interested in contributing to his child and
family program in Cambodia.
"It’s really rewarding to connect people in St. George to people in
Cambodia," Barton said. "That’s really what I want to do, just
connect the world one person at a time."
To learn more about Barton’s organization and how to help with his
current projects, visit