A 14-year-old from Fort Worth knew from an early age that he wanted to help the hungry people living in hometown.
At the age of 7 was when Will Lourcey first realized that there were people living near him who didn’t know where their next meal was coming from, he told People.
“I was riding home from a Little League game one night, sitting in the back of my parents’ car, and I saw a man holding a cardboard sign that said, ‘Need a Meal,’” Will said. “I went to bed feeling sad that there were people in my community without enough food to eat.”
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When his parents asked him how he wanted to spend that summer, Will replied, “I want to start a charity to help people like that man we saw holding a sign.”
That was the moment the idea for the nonprofit FROGS: Friends Reaching Our Goals came into fruition.
Will’s father arranged a tour of the local food bank, and he and his friends held a canned good drives that raised $1,000 and 1,400 cans of soup, chili, peaches and tuna.
With the help of his parents, Will then started the FROG Center Clubs, which works with local boys and girls clubs to provide children from low-income families with a sit-down dinner once a month. He enlisted the help of his friends and other students to help.
“People often tell us that we’re doing a great job with Will,” said Will’s mother, Julie. “But in reality, it’s Will who inspires us to give back to our community. Will thinks big. He doesn’t see obstacles, only opportunities. We hope his message inspires other youth to take action and help make positive change, all across our nation.”
FROGS has provided an estimated 500,000 meals to those in need in Fort Worth since 2010.
Will devotes at least 10 hours a week to fundraising and recruiting new volunteers.
But, it looks like philanthropy isn’t Will’s only talent. The 8th grader won the regional spelling bee last week for correctly spelling “Macchiato.” He will go on to compete at the Scripps National Bee in Washington, D.C. this spring, the Star-Telegram reported.
It’s safe to say to expect great things from Will in the future.
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(H/T: People)