Joshua Williams

At the tender age of five, Joshua became passionate about assisting the needy after viewing “Feed the Children.” He was in disbelief at the suffering that children everywhere were subject to. His first solution to the problem was that his mother should adopt some of these unfortunate children along with sending money to help others. His mother felt touched by his compassion and promised that they would help in whatever ways they could. Weeks after his interest in helping the needy had been sparked, his grandmother gifted him some pocket money. Joshua’s true desire to help shined 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 person food since he was able-bodied, Joshua insisted that it was his money and, therefore, his decision to give the man the money instead. Following this experience, Joshua’s idea to aid the needy started to blossom.

Though Joshua was eager to start his own company to fulfill his vision, he had difficulty getting others to make the move. He first sought the adult assistance he required from his aunts. However, months of inactivity forced Joshua to “fire” them and continue to seek help elsewhere. 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, but Joshua then resorted to new tactics. For several months, he nagged his mother daily for assistance, trying to impress upon her the importance of having his goal attained. Finally, he broke through to his mother and they began to give away food and other things to people in need. At this point, thought of opening a regular company took hold. One of Joshua’s aunts stepped up and pointed them in the direction of starting a non-profit organization as an alternative. Thus began “Joshua’s Heart.”

The title “Joshua’s Heart” clearly defines Joshua’s desire to “Help Stomp out World Hunger.” Joshua’s organization distributes food once a month and feeds the homeless weekly. They also deliver food to the sick, elderly and helpless. Currently, food is provided for over 100 homeless people and about 450 families on a monthly basis.

Joshua is now seven years old. He is very excited about the possibilities his organization is opening up. He enjoys meeting the recipients at the distribution locations, while supervising to ensure that things run smoothly. Once his duties are completed, he also takes joy in playing with the children of the families in need. Joshua is extremely passionate about his cause. He is currently writing a story about his foundation and hopes to use this money to assist more families.

Though it would seem that he is doing above and beyond already, Joshua has also been inspired by the documentary movie “War Dance,” which focuses on the atrocities that Northern Uganda children face. With rebels taking the lives of their own people and using children to perform terrible deeds, many children have been left orphaned. Joshua was exposed to the dependence these children have 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 the suffering of the children. This has motivated Joshua even more to help the less fortunate. Simultaneously, it has stirred a desire to visit Africa in the future.

Joshua has attributed his mission to a vision he says he received from God. He feels that God has a purpose for everyone and he has been given his. Joshua truly appreciates the assistance he receives from his family members, even his aunts he initially had to “fire.” Without them, he knows that his vision would not be as successful as it has become. Joshua’s humbleness and hopefulness is an inspiration to all. His heart has already begun to make a difference in this world.

Joshua uses some of his spare time to attend council meetings and make speeches to address the issue of poverty and hope that he will be able to get assistance to stomp out hunger. He does not understand why there is so much food and resources in out country and children, families and the elderly are still hungry. he hopes that by spreading the word more people will be able to assist and continue to make a difference.