A Young Man on a Mission
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?”
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Philanthropist and founder of Project I AM - an organization building awareness of, and helping the homeless population - Jahkil Jackson:
"The first time I can remember feeling empathy was when I was out with my aunt and cousins feeding people who were outside in the cold. I was 5 years old, and this was the 1st time I had been exposed to homelessness. On this cold Chicago winter night, I felt confused and sad. I did not understand why people were sleeping outside. I saw dirt, rats, and trash all around. This is what motivated me to try to find a way to help. My family eventually helped me start an organization when I was eight called Project I Am to build awareness of this tragedy in the world.
How many times have you seen a homeless person and didn’t pay attention to them and chose to just move along? Well next time you are in that situation, try to acknowledge them, because at the end of the day, they are the same as you and me. They’re human, they bleed the way you bleed, they cry the way you cry, and they breathe the same air that you breathe. They are people too. There are over 550,000 homeless people in the United States. While all of them are not sleeping outside, about 20% search for dry spaces to lay their heads on the streets. The other 80% are drifters, living from couch to couch with family members and friends. These are all still scary facts, and I believe that we can all stand tall to fight for those that are less fortunate. This is why my organization, Project I Am, is so important. I personally am here to show a different side of black boys from Chicago, and with the support of companies like MPOWERD I have been able to impact over 70,000 men, women, and children in need globally!"
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We're proud to call Jahkil a partner, and will continue championing his mission and raising awareness to his cause. In February, MPOWERD sent Jahkil over 200 Luci EMRG lights to support his exceptional work in his local community to fight homelessness. Thanks for everything you do Jahkil!
