Deputy volunteers to feed families of sick kids at Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth
Kelly Biggs knows how important small gestures — a smile, a hot meal — can be for families dealing with a critically sick child.
Biggs’ daughter, Cassidy — the youngest of his eight children — died in 2012 of a heart condition when she was 5.
Today, Biggs, a Tarrant County sheriff’s deputy with 34 years of law enforcement experience, is a regular volunteer at Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth. The staff at the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth provides shelter for families with children in critical care wards of hospitals.
Biggs also is president of the Texas Chisholm Trail Crime Prevention Association, and part of his role in that agency is to help nonprofits. He regularly delivers food as part of a Meals from the Heart program at the Ronald McDonald House.
Meals from the Heart last year provided 658 meals, using help from 3,721 volunteers.
The Ronald McDonald staff nominated Biggs for recognition in the Star-Telegram’s Hometown Heroes series.
“I know what a lot of these families are going through,” Biggs said in an interview outside the Ronald McDonald House on Eighth Avenue in the city’s medical district. “It floods you, but you see what they go through and, man, if you can provide just a little comfort or a sense of something, then to me this is entirely worth it.”
Hometown Heroes is sponsored by Lockheed Martin, which is providing $1,000 each week over 28 weeks to those selected by the Star-Telegram to be featured in the series.
“It is amazing the strength, hope and comfort that a warm smile and a delicious meal will bring families that are traveling down difficult roads,” Angie Gallaway, chief development officer at Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth, wrote in her nomination letter. “Officer Biggs has made a profound difference in the lives of many families and children and for this reason, we are honored to nominate him as a Hometown Hero.”
Biggs hasn’t stopped helping with meals, even though the COVID pandemic has forced Ronald McDonald House to limit how many volunteers can be inside its facilities.
“Officer Biggs contacts the House weekly to see what items our families need and how he can help. His weekly donations include items like food, drinks, cleaning supplies, paper products, and more,” Gallaway wrote.
On Mother’s Day Biggs provided large boxes of chocolate for the moms, Gallaway wrote. On Father’s Day, he delivered a large duffel bag filled with gift items for the dads.
Ronald McDonald House has partnered with the culinary staff at Charles Schwab’s new campus in Westlake north of Fort Worth. Biggs and other volunteers deliver ingredients to the Schwab staff to prepare the meals, which makes it possible for Ronald McDonald House to provide its guests with gourmet meals at little cost.
Before the pandemic, the Texas Chisholm Trail Crime Prevention Association provided Ronald McDonald House with about 60 dinners per month. The group often cooked the food on site at the house, with many volunteers helping with preparation and serving.
Biggs was sometimes known as the “meat master” for grilling steaks, shrimp “and the BEST BBQ chicken,” Gallaway said.
Gallaway said Biggs has a special place in his heart for the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth and is familiar with the experiences its families face.
“Officer Biggs has gone through the family trauma of losing a child to illness and has deep compassion for the families that we serve.”
To nominate a hometown hero
To nominate someone to be featured in the Hometown Heroes series, go to star-telegram.com/nominate.
This story was originally published September 13, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
