“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

~Harriet Tubman

Will Lourcey is a 13 year old who is taking the issue of solving hunger by its lapels.

My path crossed with Will’s at the Jefferson Awards Foundation early this year after a friend offered me a spare ticket at the last minute. I am so thankful for moments of serendipity like this one as it led me to Will and his message, “no matter how tall or small you are—you can make a big difference.”

When Will took to the stage, every single person in the crowd was left speechless, inspired and smiling; including me.

Will formed a not-for-profit when he was seven after he saw a homeless man with a sign that read, ‘need a meal’ and he knew he had to do something because this was, in his words, unacceptable. I tend to agree with him.

He told his parents and got his friends involved: yes, other seven year olds. He came up with a game plan and then simply put—got busy. He didn’t have any information on how to set up a not-for-profit, he had no financial backing and wasn’t willing to wait till he was a little more “grown up” before he took a step forward; he just knew he was moved and he had to help. So, he did.

What has struck me most about Will is his infectious openness and presence as you will see below in the chat we had. One of my favorite part was Will’s response when I asked him who inspires him. I’ll let you hear what he has to say in his own words.

Our world is going through its set of problems and if there is one thing we owe our lovely planet, it is to participate and get involved in anything that moves our hearts. However small our contributions, I believe each act lays the foundation to change the course humanity is taking and hopefully inch by inch, one community at a time, we can create a better home for future generations to come. At the very least one where no one has to go to bed hungry.

You can follow the wonderfully inspiring Will Lourcey on Facebook, his website or via his Twitter or
Instagram accounts.

Enjoy and stay inspired.
(Note: we had a choppy internet connection but I promise, you won’t miss a beat!)

~

Author: Neelam Tewar

Editor: Sarah Kolkka

Photo: Provided by Julie Lourcey & SLR Jester/Flickr