When I was growing up in the country, if we wanted to hunt or fish, we went. There was no thought of needing help because every other kid I knew was like me; there were none with disabilities who weren’t able to do what I did.
Think of a youngster, nose pressed against the window glass as he sits in a wheelchair, legs supported by braces as he can only look longingly out the window at other kids doing what he’d love to do. His disability keeps them behind the window rather than being out and doing what his little heart wishes he could. Enter Jeff Warren and his organization for special needs kids, Dream Hunt Foundation.
You have to wonder how in the world Warren has the time from his full-time work in construction, remodeling and owning a crawfish restaurant to kick start an organization that helps special needs youngsters.
The mission statement for the organization, Dream Hunt Foundation, sets the tone for why he has continued what he started in the spring of 2013. It reads: ”Dream Hunt Foundation desires to take kids on the hunt of a lifetime. We want to provide them a positive experience in a tough season of their life, teach them principles from a trusted adult that goes beyond the hunt and create a platform to share the hope we have in Christ.”
Warren, who lives south of Shreveport in Stonewall, launched the organization because of his vision of putting something together that would give special needs youngsters the chance to participate in activities they previously could only dream about.
“Obviously, there is no way we could do what we do without having sponsors coming alongside of us, groups who believe in what we’re doing and are generously sponsoring events that help us fund what we do,” Warren said.
One such group, Dowlings Processing in Simsboro, is one of those groups that has come alongside Warren to help out. This Saturday, March 11, Dowlings is sponsoring a sporting clays shoot with funds generated targeting Dream Hunt Foundation.
“Dowlings is a great organization that helped us last year. They raised between $5-6,000 a year ago. When you think that it costs us about $500 a kid to get everything set up for an event, what they did a year ago gave 12 kids the opportunity to do something they would have never been able to do,” said Warren.
Anyone wishing to participate in the Dowling event should contact Colby Sherrard at Dowlings at 318-247-6451.
Other groups that have come aboard to help include a group in Bryceland that hosted a special feral hog hunt last year raising some $5,000. In addition, there are golf tournaments in Shreveport and Monroe and a sporting clays event in Ferriday along with a big raffle at the end of the year that raise funds for Dream Hunt Foundation.
“One thing of importance is the fact that what we do is not just for youngsters in our area,” said Warren. “Since the program began, we have had up to 2,000 kids from all around the country take part in the program. Our records show that we were able to offer 400 kids the opportunity for a special hunt or fishing event last year.”
Hopefully this message will touch the hearts of individuals who would like to get involved. Visit info@dreamhunt.tv to find out how.
Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@gmail.com
