Disney Friends For Change and Sodexo Grants Help South Florida Kids Make a Difference for Families

MIRAMAR, Fla. - April 23, 2013 - PRLog -- South Florida – On Saturday, April 27th Joshua’s Heart Foundation (JHF) will host Global Youth Service Day at Miramar Elementary School. This service project is slated to be a part of the Youth Service America (YSA) Global Youth Service Day Event and is sponsored in part by Youth Service America, Disney, Sodexo, Wal-mart, Health Foundation of South Florida, First Care Home Services, Pine Crest Lower School and the youth supporters and members of the Joshua’s Heart Foundation.

Joshua’s Heart Foundation was awarded a $1,000 Disney Friends for Change Grant. YSA (Youth Service America)—in partnership with Disney–-provided 50 grants directly to young people around the country who seek to improve their communities through service.

The grant program supports youth-led projects that highlight the creativity and commitment of young people. Each youth grantee will participate in Global Youth Service Day (April 26-28, 2013) the largest service event in the world. The grant was open to youth ages 5-18, and grantees hail from all across the country.

The grants are part of Disney Friends For Change, a program created to inspire kids and families to join together and make a positive impact on their world. Offered in collaboration with YSA, an international leader in the youth service movement, Disney Friends For Change Grants also include project planning resources to support the young grantees in leading community change and maximize the community impact of each service initiative. Grants are offered by Disney and managed through YSA, who will select recipients based on pre-determined criteria.

One-hundred grants of up to $500 were awarded to youth-led projects that aim to reduce childhood hunger in local communities throughout America.  At the same time, grant winners educate and mobilize their peers around the issue, expanding the pool of people actively searching for solutions to ending childhood hunger. Sodexo Foundation Youth Grants empower young people as problem-solvers working to improve the well-being and quality of life for their generation.

In addition to Sodexo Foundation Youth Grants, Sodexo Foundation has partnered with YSA to support local organizations and educators in service and service-learning projects that engage young people in the fight against childhood hunger in America.

WHAT:  JHF will host a youth service day project to distribute grocery items to over 150 pre-selected needy families from Broward and Miami-Dade Counties at Miramar Elementary School. As a Global Youth Service Day project, young people will be donating, sorting, packing and distributing food to all the recipient families. Additionally, volunteers will prepare care packages for the homeless from 1:30 to 4:00pm to be delivered to Camillus House that evening.

WHEN: Saturday, April 27, 2013 from 9.30am to 1:00pm

WHERE: Miramar Elementary School, 6831 SW 26th Street, Miramar, FL. 33020

WHY: To fulfill and stay consistent with their mission of Stomping Out World Hunger.

“We are always happiest when we are able to give more than we receive,” said Joshua Williams, President of JHF. “In the 7 years we have been working on honing our mission, I have never doubted the dedication and heart of my volunteers. I am always humbled by the support that we receive from our sponsors and the members of our South Florida communities.” At 12 years old, Joshua matter-of-a-factly states, “What else would I be doing?” Some powerful supporters in attendance this Saturday will be Miramar, Vice-Mayor, The Honorable Alexandra P. Davis and Commissioner Yvette Colbourne. Both the commissioner and Mayor will be on hand for interviews along with Mr. Williams.

“These amazing youths will be able to make significant changes in their communities through this Disney Friends For Change Grant,” said YSA President and CEO Steven A. Culbertson. “We have selected some incredible projects that will have sustainable and positive effects on the lives of many people for future generations.”

“These grant recipients embody the expression that, ‘youth is the trustee of prosperity,’ said Robert A. Stern, chair, Sodexo Foundation. “It will be through their active efforts and ingenuity that we will one day see an end to childhood hunger in America.”

“With energy, creativity and compassion, young people are uniquely positioned to address childhood hunger,” said Steven A. Culbertson, President and CEO of YSA, a leader in the youth service movement. “Together with YSA and Sodexo Foundation, Joshua and South Florida young people are taking critical steps to end childhood hunger in their community.”

About Joshua’s Heart Foundation
JHF food recovery and distribution programs provides commodity foods to low-income youths, seniors and families residing in South Florida and Jamaica West Indies at community-based sites and schools. JHF has created programs that are designed to address the issue of stomping out childhood hunger by leaving no student hungry and to educate other children and youth on how to take action against hunger. For more information visit http://www.joshuasheart.org.  

About Youth Service America
Celebrating 25 years of youth changing the world, YSA improves communities by increasing the number and diversity of young people serving in substantive roles. Through campaigns such as Global Youth Service Day and Semester of Service; YSA Grants and awards programs; and resources and training opportunities, YSA activates millions of young people each year. Working with—and on behalf of—youth, adult mentors, organizations and schools, YSA promotes a global culture of engaged youth committed to a lifetime of community action, learning, leadership, and achievement. Visit http://www.YSA.org for more information.

About Disney Friends for Change
Disney Friends for Change is a multi-platform initiative that inspires kids and families to join together and make a positive impact on their world by helping people, communities and the planet.  And while these activities may vary, they are united by an overarching emphasis on fostering creativity, conservation and compassion. Through PSAs on-air and online action kits, the program aims to provide useful resources to encourage kids to make small changes that add up to big differences. Friends for Change, along with YSA, provide grants to support youth-service projects in communities across the world. They currently have almost five million actions taking place from kids in 33 countries throughout Europe, Latin America, China.

About Sodexo's Fight Against Hunger  
Sodexo Inc. and Sodexo Foundation work to help end hunger in the United States. Sodexo Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit with the mission to end childhood hunger. The foundation works to ensure that every child in the US, grows up with dependable access to nutritious food. Visit http://www.sodexofoundation.org for more information.