Young people are deeply plugged into their immediate surroundings and they are quick to recognize ongoing problems in their local community. What can be challenging is amplifying and transforming that awareness into meaningful effort that makes a difference. 18-year-old Joshua Williams is that catalyst for action in his Miami Beach neighborhood and his Joshua's Heart Foundation is making significant inroads into addressing the poverty and hunger that he sees every day.

The Food Distribution Program is the backbone of Joshua's Heart. Even people with jobs and access to government programs like SNAP and WIC often struggle to feed their families. Fifteen percent of the residents of South Florida experience food insecurity. Twenty-five percent of food-insecure individuals do not qualify for government nutrition programs and must rely upon food pantries and charity to meet their basic needs.

Joshua's top challenge to make the foundation effective is raising awareness about the poverty and hunger in their community, especially with his peers. "Joshua's Heart's main goal has always been to get youth to understand their power and the impact they can have on their community," Joshua explained. "Youth are very creative and see solutions rather than problems. It's transformed again from not just me and my family, to a community of kids coming together to make a change. It's beyond me now."

And how! Since 2005, the foundation has raised over $1 million to stomp out hunger, distributed over 2.2 million pounds of food, donated over 100K toys, books, and clothes, recruited over 2,500 youth volunteers, assisted over 420K individuals, and served over 500K meals. They are located all across the country, from Florida to Connecticut, and west to Illinois, as well as internationally in Nigeria, India, Jamaica, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Haiti, and Mexico.

Watch how Joshua's idea, first launched in his Mom's kitchen, is now partnering with corporations and celebrities globally, once again proving that when kids coordinate, they can shake up the world.

Learn more at: https://joshuasheart.org/

Follow Joshua's Heart on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/joshuasheart

See more amazing KidzBiz stories at: http://bit.ly/KidzBizOGTV

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