In 2005, four-year-old Joshua Williams saw a homeless man in downtown Miami. Moved by poverty’s human face, Joshua told his mother he wanted to give the man the $20 he had in his pocket — a gift from his grandmother. The experience also inspired the creation of Joshua’s Heart Foundation (JHF), which in the past 10 years has raised over $450,000 and distributed 1.1 million pounds of food to people suffering from hunger.
On October 24th, JHF is planning opportunities for people to give back across the country in partnership with Stop Hunger Now. Volunteers are slated to package thousands of meals for distribution to schools, orphanages and clinics throughout the developing world.
Joshua’s Heart Foundation provides food to people suffering from hunger in South Florida, Africa, India and Jamaica through charities, churches, and government programs. Volunteers fill backpacks that feed 50 kids each week. To date, the foundation has distributed food to 50,000 families and has donated 40,000 boxes of personal items in order to stomp out hunger and inequality in underprivileged communities.
Over 6,000 child and teen volunteers represents the heart of the foundation’s work. Joshua aims to empower today’s youth to make an impact by entrusting them with the core work of the foundation. The youth raise funds and solicit in-kind gifts, through golf and bowling tournaments and other events, volunteer at meal and backpack packing events, as well as advise the foundation’s board. Joshua alone has made hundreds of talks to companies that contribute food and money.
“Every night, one in nine people throughout the world goes to bed hungry,” says Joshua, 14, the JHF’s Founder and President. “In partnership with Stop Hunger Now and our supporters around the world, we will make it our priority to work toward reducing that number to zero. Together, we can achieve so much more.”
Watch below to get to know Joshua and his heart for service