Sandra Huffman learned from her parents at a young age the importance of giving back and having a heart for those in need, especially children. But she felt out of place and perhaps a tad unqualified when a sweet man named Bill Barrett recruited her as a volunteer 45 years ago for what was at that time a new but popular non-profit called Love For Kids.
“I told him, ‘I don’t have the experience for this kind of thing,’” Huffman said with a laugh. “He just said, ‘I’m going to mentor you.’”
Not only did Barrett follow through with his promise, but Huffman never left Love For Kids as it continued to grow and help more kids and their families. She went on to hold practically every position in the organization and even came out of retirement to become its president in 2015. But as Huffman quickly points out, Love For Kids has always been more than a one-person show.
It began with Barrett and his partner in crime, Alan Powdermaker, and continued with Huffman. But it has soared to greater heights over the past half-century thanks to a dedicated board of directors and volunteers who believe in one thing — helping underserved children and their families.
“We are a small charity, but we’ve done some pretty amazing things over the past 48 years,” Huffman said. “As they say, it takes a village. Our board of directors, volunteers, and staff are always there when we need them, and it’s never about us — it’s about the kids. It’s exciting to see how so many volunteers have fallen in love with helping. This is what we do.”
The idea for Love For Kids started with the desire to give at-risk kids a Texas-sized Christmas party. Barrett was a businessman and philanthropist, and Powdermaker owned Ranch Land, which is now Circle R Ranch on FM 1171 in Flower Mound. The free party was a success — over 200 kids showed up for a day of games, horseback riding, hayrides, face painting, and more, and then left with a Christmas present.
They quickly made it an annual event, and what started as a guest list of 200 kids ballooned to over 1,200 ages 6-12.
While this is still the organization’s flagship event, Love For Kids now has several more initiatives that address the growing needs of the children it serves in the Metroplex.
Twenty-seven years ago, Love For Kids started the All Kids Count event for disabled and seriously ill children and their families. This is a free, accommodated day at Circle R Ranch with raffle prizes, special lunches, music, activities, community resources, and more. Its volunteers also help coordinate the sorting and distribution of toys for other independent and worthy children’s charities across North Texas each year in partnership with Dallas Children’s Charities.
Not to be outdone, the We Are 1 Community food blessing division of Love For Kids distributes food and diapers to underserved families. This group effort with multiple charitable, public, and private organizations has served close to 14,000 families over the past two years. In October alone, they fed close to 2,700 individuals, Huffman said.
“We don’t feed 400 or 500 people. We feed into the thousands,” she added. “We also have Happy Hearts Heroes, where volunteers dress up as costumed characters such as Batman, Superman, Captain America, etc., to entertain kids at no charge. Whether they request a hero, princess, or something else, our special volunteers make it happen. There are also initiatives such as Role for Rare, where we advocate for children with rare diseases. The amount of brainstorming that goes on to come up with different ways to raise money and impact kids’ lives is incredible. I’d never been part of something like this before.”
Huffman added, “Our community is full of people who want to help, and we collaborate to make a maximum impact. It’s always been about the kids, and we’ll keep doing what we do.”
If you’d like to learn more about Love For Kids and how to get involved, visit loveforkidsinc.org. They also have multiple ways to donate — a simple $25 donation can provide a meal, entertainment, and a fun day at a ranch for an at-risk child. Physical donations of blankets, clothes, and other goods can be brought to them directly.
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