About Our Chapter

In the late 1990s, Vance Free, then the children’s pastor at Evangel Temple in Springfield, MO, heard about a growing organization that provides hope to local children in foster care. He flew to California to learn more about Royal Family KIDS Camps, Inc, and saw the difference a week of hope, love, and fun can make in the lives of children. A group of volunteers from Evangel Temple came together to launch the area’s first RFK Camp in 2000, and more than twenty years later our camp now brings together volunteers from across Southwest Missouri to dedicate a week of their summer to spending time with children in our communities. When RFK started mentoring clubs our local chapter began earnestly building our own club to continue our relationships with the children we serve throughout the year. In November 2020, RFK officially became For The Children to expand its reach to include Royal Family Kids Camp, mentoring clubs, building awareness of fostering and adoption, and advocating for the children we care about through policy.

Our chapter is governed by a volunteer board of individuals who care deeply about the children we serve and work to constantly improve how we approach our programs. 

Chapter Director: Debbie Moses 

Board Members: Larla Bogle, Erick Burgess, Jim Jones, Dr. Jean Orr, and Sfen Waldo