While sitting in a deer stand in 2011, Jeff Warren—a devoted father of four and avid hunter-began to think about how many children may never experience the thrill of a deer hunt due to disabilities or a lack of resources that others often take for granted. It was in that quiet moment that Jeff felt God speaking to him: a clear call to help others, especially through hunting, by doing for them what they could not do for themselves.

"When I was growing up in the country, if we wanted to hunt or fish, we just went. There was no need for help because every other kid I knew was like me—there weren't any with disabilities who couldn't do what I did."

Picture a child, nose pressed against the window glass, seated in a wheelchair with leg braces. He can only watch longingly as other kids play and do what he dreams of doing. His disability keeps him behind the window-his heart aching to be part of the world outside.

This image-and the desire to change it-led Jeff to launch Dream Hunt Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for children with special needs to experience the outdoor adventures they had only dreamed about.

After much thought and prayer, Jeff secured a meeting with board members at Shriners Hospital in Shreveport. There, he shared his love for hunting and his vision for Dream Hunt. The presentation moved many to tears. That year, in 2013, Shriners sent the first five children. From that moment, word spread quickly. Soon, organizations like St. Jude, MDA. and the Make-A-Wish Foul dation began refering children. By 2015.

Dream Hunt Foundation had taken 92 kids hunting and fishing.

In 2018, a special education teacher from Caddo Parish reached out, asking if her class could go fishing. Her students rarely participated in field trips like other children. That request launched a new tradition.

Fast forward to 2024: each spring, Dream Hunt Foundation now takes special needs classes from Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto, and Webster Parishes on unforgettable fishing field trips.

In 2025 alone, we took over 920 kids fishing during March, April, and May.

Every child, teacher, and volunteer was treated to burgers, hot dogs, down Home Sausage-and of course, chocolate chip cookies! Each person also received a Dream Hunt hat and a fishing bobber to commemorate their day.

Dream Hunt Foundation also hosts Dream Hunt Weekends in October and November across Louisiana-including Shreveport, Monroe, St.

Francisville, and Ferriday. At each event, 15 to 20 children and their families join us for a weekend of hunting and fishing, completely free of charge.

During these weekends, disabilities don't hold anyone back. Every child is on an equal playing field. For many, simply being there is the experience of a lifetime. Hundreds of children with special needs had never been able to hunt or fish-until Dream Hunt Foundation stepped in to make their dreams come true.

What started with just one child and two guides in a deer stand has now grown to nearly 1,000 children and more than 2,500 volunteers each year.

With the help of thousands of volunteers and generous donors, Dream Hunt Foundation has taken nearly 5,000 kids on hunting and fishing adventures since its founding.

The growth and the lives transformed by Dream Hunt are something we are deeply proud of-but we can't do it alone. We are supported by an incredible team of volunteers who make everything possible.

Though we do this for the kids-to bless them-it's often the volunteers who find themselves blessed in return. Whether they're a guide, landowner, or even someone baking cookies for a weekend hunt, many feel a deeply personal connection. For some, it's a way to honor a loved one who battled cancer or lived with a disability. In serving these children, they reconnect with their own stories.

Watching big-hearted Southern woodsmen gently and lovingly interact with these children is nothing short of inspiring. The impact goes both ways-the kids touch the lives of the adults just as powerfully.

And none of it would be possible without the incredible support of our sponsors-organizations and individuals who believe in our mission and generously help fund our work.