Barbie Stafford

Volunteer and Former Board Member

Barbie Stafford began volunteering at Little Bit in 2015. Prior to retirement, she worked for Microsoft, and she first discovered Little Bit through a Day of Caring activity where she spent a day volunteering at Little Bit with her colleagues. “I met this, at the time, brand new Volunteer Director by the name of Lindsay, who somehow at the end of the day had me convinced that it was a brilliant idea for me to come back and volunteer at Little Bit, even though I had no experience at all around horses. Zero. None.” Barbie has volunteered at least once a week ever since and served on the Board of Trustees for six years, some of which was during COVID and the associated challenges of that time.

“It’s given us [Barbie and her husband Jim] an opportunity to be part of our broader community,” says Barbie. “We have an opportunity to give, and we also get from it. It’s a reciprocal relationship as a community member that’s been really important to us.”  

Barbie volunteers as a horse leader, leading horses during Adaptive Riding classes. “It’s been really fun because I have had the same rider now for several years. I get to see her and her family every week, and I get to help her learn and grow as part of the program, and I learn and grow the whole time I’m there as well.”

“In comparison to other things I’ve done, the longevity of the relationships I have, particularly with my riders and with the horses, makes it distinctive,” says Barbie. “It’s been a real blessing in my life to have the opportunity to volunteer here.”

Barbie also volunteers in a hippotherapy session, where she supports the client and therapist with whatever they need to make sure they are successful in their objectives for that therapy treatment. “It’s super cool because over the course of time, I’ve been able to ask questions about what’s going on with the therapy, and I’ve learned a lot from that as well.”

One of Barbie’s favorite things about being part of Little Bit has been watching the growth of individuals in the Little Bit community over her 10 years of involvement. Barbie recalls one individual in particular who started as a shy 14-year-old volunteer who just happened to like horses, and has grown into a confident, competent staff member. “There’s been so many things like that where you see these amazing people develop – we see that in our clients, but also in our staff and volunteers.”

Barbie recalls volunteering in a social skills class, where a group of clients engage in games and other activities that enable them to improve their social skills and social interactions. She was tasked with keeping one young woman in the group who was moving around the arena, following beams of light. “She was dancing from one column of fairy dust to the next and reveling in it. It was such a magical moment. I was all focused on trying to get her to behave, and come and join the class, and do all the things that she was supposed to do, and here she was showing me this moment of magic, and I was just so grateful to have that. It made me wonder – how many other moments of magic have I missed?”

“[Little Bit’s] been here for a long time, and over that time, it’s touched so many people. It’s a place where people, no matter who they are, feel like they are okay to be there. Who they are and what they bring is appreciated, even if they put the tack on backwards!” Barbie reflects about her own learning curve, not having come from an equestrian background, and the patience of the staff and those around her in helping her learn. “That’s an important contribution to the broader community.”

When Barbie thinks of Little Bit, she thinks of community and belonging. “It has this community that it was not only able to build but to sustain over so many years--50 years. Wow! 50 years of that cycle is pretty amazing.” 

What does the future look like for Little Bit according to Barbie? “Coming off COVID, and other challenges as an organization, its found its stride. Its got a sustainable vision for moving forward.”

Find more 50th anniversary stories HERE.