9-year-old Joshua Smith has become quite the philanthropist in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Seeing the harsh struggles citizens of the cash-strapped city are facing, Smith made it his mission to help. With the support of his family, Smith set up a snack stand that has helped him to raise almost 4,000.
On Tuesday, Smith was awarded the “Spirit of Detroit” Award by the Detroit City Council. “I’m a believer (in Detroit) and here’s a young man at 9 years old who also believes,” said Detroit Mayor Dave Bing. “I think that bodes very well for the future of the city because when you can get your children to get engaged; to understand the depth of the problem you have and say that “˜I’m not just going to sit on the sidelines’ either.” (courtesy of thegrio.com)
While Smith has been gaining world recognition for his fundraising efforts, he has not lost site of his future. The Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation recently awarded Smith a 2,500 college scholarship. His scholarship award was especially rare because the Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation only awards funds to high school seniors.
“His heart is really in it for the people, and he’s always been a very helpful boy,” Joshua’s father, Flynn Smith, told ABC News. Smith’s efforts provide another ray of hope for Detroiters. All isn’t lost for the city of Detroit.
View a video of Joshua below by Vlogger True Speech. After you view the video please share your thoughts and encouragement for Joshua in the comments section.