Small Boy Shows Big Heart With Charity Aimed At Ending Hunger

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The day Joshua Williams saw a disheveled guy clutching a sign that read ``Help Me,'' he found his mission in life: ending hunger. Curious, he asked his reluctant mom to stop the car so he could donate $20 to the man in the street, money intended for a church offering. ``It's my money. I want to help him, mom,'' said Joshua, then still in a booster car seat.

Three years later, at the ripe-old-age of 8, Joshua Christopher Williams is president of Joshua's Heart, a foundation that tackles an issue daunting to most adults. At least once every two months you can find Josh and his staff -- mom, grandma, aunts and other volunteers -- feeding homeless and low-income families somewhere in Miami-Dade County.

``He just made up his mind that this is what he wanted to do,'' said his mom, Claudia McLean. ``And there is no stopping him.''

In the two years since he created his nonprofit organization, the Miami Beach boy has collected thousands of dollars in donations and led a growing band of adults to feed thousands of people throughout North and Central Miami-Dade: Liberty City, North Miami, Miami Gardens, Little Haiti and Hialeah. He has used money from the organization to help renovate a teen center in Hallandale Beach, lobbied local governments for financial help, set up shop at community festivals and won several awards -- including Miami-Dade County's Do the Right Thing award and a $1,000 scholarship prize as one of the regional winners of Kohl's Kids Who Care annual competition.

``He is a blessing from God,'' said Earl Laird, who came to get food during a recent Joshua's Heart distribution at the Church of God of Prophecy in Miami Gardens. Laird said he receives disability checks and depends on the food to help him get through tough times.

``It's amazing that such a little boy can do something like this,'' he said.

On a recent Friday, the curly-haired boy donned white latex gloves -- big enough for another set of hands to fit inside -- and took his place in front of a tower of canned pasta in the church's meeting room.

He grabbed a can of spaghetti and meat sauce and waited for his first client.

VERY GRATEFUL

``Would you like a can?'' he asked in his high-pitched, little-boy's voice.

``Thank you,'' said a woman carrying a large box filled with canned vegetables, crackers and soup.

``When they say thank you, I know they appreciate it,'' said Joshua, a rising fourth-grader at Fisher Island Day School.

Soon after Joshua had his streetside epiphany at the age of 5, he and his mother began to brainstorm -- and realized they needed help to get an organization off the ground.

McLean called Francine Hanna, a Miramar businesswoman, to help them incorporate Joshua's fledgling foundation.

The day she arrived at the Miami Beach home, Hanna expected to meet a teenager.

``This 5-year-old comes in the room,'' she said. ``I was shocked. He was so articulate.''

Joshua is registered as the organization's president. His mother is vice president and Lisia McLean, his aunt, is treasurer.

Joshua dreams of taking his charitable enterprise beyond Miami-Dade.

``I want to get a team together. I want my team to go out and give food to people who have a need for food. I want to stretch it all the way to countries in Africa.'

Joshuas Heart Foundation