At the tender age of five, Joshua Williams became passionate about assisting the needy after viewing Feed The Children commercials on television. He was in disbelief about the children who were suffering worldwide. His first solution to the problem was that his mother should adopt some of these unfortunate children and send money to help others. His mother was touched by his compassion and promised they would help in whatever way possible. Weeks after his initial interest in helping the needy, his grandmother gifted him some pocket money. Joshua’s true desire to help shined through when he chose to give the money to a hungry, homeless person on a local street. Though his mother advised him that she would prefer to give the able-bodied person food, Joshua insisted that it was his money and his decision to give the man his money. Following this experience, Joshua’s vision to aid the needy started to blossom.

            Joshua was also inspired by the documentary War Dance, which focused on the atrocities faced by Northern Uganda children. With rebels taking the lives of their own people and using children to perform terrible deeds, many children were orphaned. Joshua was exposed to the dependence these children had on outside forces to sustain them. In the documentary, the children performed in a dance competition in Southern Uganda, and as a result, dancing helped to heal their suffering. The documentary motivated Joshua even more to help the less fortunate. Simultaneously, it stirred a desire to visit Africa at some point in the future.

            These experiences prompted Joshua to want to start his own company to fulfill his vision; however, he had difficulty getting others to join him. He first sought adult assistance from his aunts. However, months of inactivity forced Joshua to “fire” them and to seek help elsewhere. Out of frustration, Joshua brought the situation to his mother’s attention. She had been unaware of the struggle he was having with getting her sisters to help him help the poor. Unfortunately, she too had an overloaded schedule and was unable to immediately assist him in his venture. Any other child may have become discouraged and given up, but Joshua resorted to new tactics. For several months, he prodded his mother daily for assistance impressing upon her the importance of having his goal attained. At this point, Joshua’s thought of starting a company related to feeding the hungry took hold. One of Joshua’s aunts rose to the challenge and pointed them in the direction to start a non-profit organization, and this is when Joshua’s Heart Foundation (JHF) was born.

            As he travels throughout the country to speak to people about JHF, Joshua teaches others that one is never too young to make a difference. He hopes to touch the hearts of young people so they become inspired to do something to make a difference for those less fortunate. He wants to help more people to have access to food and wants to help educate less advantaged people about growing their own food and sharing what they grow with their families and others.

            To date Joshua and his organization has distributed over 600,000 lbs of food to the needy in South Florida and Jamaica. He has inspired young people to serve assist with his mission and vision and give back. To date his foundation has at least 700 youth volunteers called elves and 40 youths on his Junior Advisory Board. His organization is one of the only agencies in South Florida that accepts volunteers of all age groups. He has been recognized locally and nationally for his work in the community. Among his awards includes the National Prudential spirit of community award, Champion of Change aware from the White House, BET’s Shine A Light award, TheGrio 100 History Makers in the Making, University of Barry Faith & Freedom award and Sodexo hunger awards. He was also inducted into the Frederick Douglass Hall of Fame in Washington D.C.

            Joshua has attributed his mission to a vision he says he received from God. He feels that God has a purpose for everyone. Joshua truly appreciates the assistance he receives from his family members, even his aunts he initially had to “fire”. Without them, he knows his vision would not have come to fruition. Through Joshua’s Heart Foundation, his generosity has begun to make a difference in this world.