How Angel Poorman Turned a Texas World War II Army Base Into a Global Center for Giving

How Texans Give (Ep. 2)

In World War II, U.S. Army soldiers trained at Camp Barkley in Abilene, Texas, many of them going on to liberate Holocaust concentration camps in Eastern Europe.

Decades later, that same land became the setting for a very different kind of mission.

In this episode of You Are What You Give, I sat down onsite with Angel Poorman, who, together with her husband Norman, transformed this former Camp Barkley Army base into the operational heart of the United Rescue Alliance, supporting disaster response and leadership training across more than two dozen countries.

This is the second episode in our How Texans Give miniseries, where we explore generosity through the cultural lens of Texas, a place shaped by land, faith, responsibility, and straight talk.

Angel is deeply faithful, and what she says - and how she says it - flows from that place. Some listeners may not share her worldview or language. But listening carefully offers a rare window into how conviction, humility, and long-term commitment translate into real-world action.

This conversation was filmed onsite, and we’ve included the landscape, history, and atmosphere of Camp Barkley to give you a tangible sense of place.

🎧 Watch / Listen here:
YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Let’s jump in.

— Avi