Country of Residence
United States
Age
19
Project title
Project I Am - Empowering Youth to Lead Through Service
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
Project I Am is youth-led nonprofit that addresses homelessness through direct service, awareness and community engagement while emplowering young people around the world to become leaders and changemakers in their own communities.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
IG: @Weareprojectiam, WEBSITE: https://weareprojectiam.com, LINKED-IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahkil-jackson/, WEBSITE: https://jahkil.com,
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Scaling (We’re expanding impact to new locations or in new and innovative ways)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
When I was five years old, my aunt took my cousins and me to feed people experiencing homelessness. She wanted us to learn about giving back and see how blessed we were. That night changed my life. It was bitter cold that night and my mind was blown learning that people slept on the streets. For the next three years, whenever someone approached our car asking for help, I made my parents give them money. I was so sad when I learned we couldn't just buy everyone a home. I couldn't let that experience go. At eight, I researched what people experiencing homelessness needed most besides housing. I learned socks were the number one requested item. People often donated food, but I wanted to provide something that lasted longer than a meal. In 2016, I gathered 15 classmates, cousins, and friends to make our first 88 Blessing Bags filled with socks, toiletries, and a light snack. But I had another question: What happens after the holidays? People give so much in December, but what about February, April, or June? That's why I started monthly packing parties. We kept bags in our trunks, visited shelters, and were ready whenever we saw someone needing help. I realized I couldn't end homelessness, but I could make sure people weren't forgotten. That's how Project I Am began.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
Homelessness is a crisis affecting individuals and families across the country. According to HUD's 2025 report, 745,652 people experienced homelessness on a single night in January, including 266,320 who were living unsheltered. Those numbers are heartbreaking because behind every statistic is a person who deserves dignity, compassion and a safe place to call home. Growing up in Chicago, I saw people sleeping on the streets and struggling to meet basic needs. What bothered me most was realizing that homelessness doesn't end when the holidays are over, but so much of the attention and giving does. I also learned that homelessness isn't always visible. Some families and young people move between temporary living situations without others even knowing they're struggling. I believe everyone deserves dignity and compassion because, at the end of the day, people experiencing homelessness are people too. I know Project I Am can't solve homelessness alone, but I believe we can provide support while encouraging others to take action. I also want to challenge the idea that young people are too young to make a difference. Both problems matter to me because everyone deserves to be seen, supported, and given an opportunity to create change in their community.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
When I started Project I Am at just eight years old, I had learned that I couldn't buy everyone experiencing homelessness a home, but I knew I could do something. My solution was to provide consistent, temporary support while inspiring other young people to become part of the solution. We started with Blessing Bags filled with socks, toiletries, and snacks. Instead of only giving during the holidays, we organized monthly packing parties and distributed bags throughout the year to people on the streets and through shelters. But something bigger was happening. I was showing other kids that they didn't have to wait until adulthood to make a difference. I was part of a generation of young changemakers proving that kids could lead meaningful community initiatives. Over the past decade, I've worked to turn that belief into opportunities for other young people. Through our Next Up program, youth participate in service clubs, mentorship, and workshops where they learn to organize projects, recruit volunteers, and lead initiatives in their communities. We also bring together schools, businesses, and community partners to support our work. Our global Giving Tuesday initiative connects young people across cities and countries to assemble Blessing Bags simultaneously for people in need. While we provide temporary support to people experiencing homelessness, I believe our long-term contribution is helping develop the next generation of servant leaders, community builders, and social entrepreneurs. I may not have found a way to buy everyone a home, but I've helped create a way for young people to become part of the solution.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
What started in 2016 with 15 kids assembling 88 Blessing Bags has grown into an international movement. Over the past ten years, Project I Am has raised nearly $1 million to impact more than 250,000 individuals, and engaged over 3,000 youth volunteers in service initiatives across more than 80 cities and three countries. One of our biggest accomplishments was our 2025 virtual Giving Tuesday packing party. More than 1,300 volunteers across 45 cities came together to assemble 20,000 Blessing Bags for people experiencing homelessness and hardship. It showed me how powerful young people can be when we're working toward one shared goal. Through Next Up, we've also expanded opportunities for young people to participate in service, develop leadership skills, and organize activities in their own communities, including internationally. I'm especially proud of seeing young people move from participating in a volunteer event to helping lead one. That's a different kind of impact because the work continues beyond a single day. The numbers represent people receiving needed supplies, but they also represent thousands of young people learning that their actions matter. To me, both outcomes are equally important.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
Blessing Bags aren't a new idea, and neither is volunteering. What makes Project I Am different is how we've turned a simple act of giving into a youth-led movement that can be replicated in communities around the world. I started Project I Am at eight years old because I didn't believe I had to wait until adulthood to make a difference. Today, I want other young people to have that same experience. Instead of relying on one organization to do everything, we empower youth to lead service projects where they live. Through Next Up, young people learn about community needs, recruit volunteers, and organize activities that make a difference locally. During the pandemic, I had to rethink how we could continue serving when people couldn't gather in person. That's when I introduced our virtual Giving Tuesday packing party, connecting youth across cities and countries to assemble Blessing Bags simultaneously in their own communities. Our traditional packing events typically engaged 10 to 30 youth volunteers. Over six years, our virtual initiative grew from 25 participants to more than 1,300. By removing geographical barriers, we dramatically expanded participation and created a model that connects young changemakers worldwide. We also use digital storytelling, educational content, and social media to raise awareness about homelessness and inspire action. Our innovation isn't the bag itself. It's creating a model where young people can organize, lead, and inspire others to make a difference, regardless of their age or location.
How many people are on your team?
15
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
Our core team includes me, six adult volunteers and 10 youth ambassadors across Chicago, St. Louis, Tennessee, Florida, Toronto and New York. Adults support logistics, fundraising, partnerships, and operations, while youth ambassadors help organize service activities, engage volunteers, and represent Project I Am locally. I share leadership by encouraging youth to bring their own ideas, make decisions, and take ownership of projects. We also engage youth through Next Up France.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, I plan to strengthen and expand Project I Am's Next Up program so more young people can become leaders in their communities. My goal is to grow our youth ambassador network and establish more Next Up chapters through schools and community partnerships. I want to give young people the tools to organize service projects, recruit volunteers, and develop their own ideas for addressing community needs. I'm also exploring ways for Project I Am to contribute to long-term solutions to homelessness. I've started meeting with tiny home coalitions to learn more about alternative housing models and potential partnerships. These conversations are still in the early stages, but they represent an important step toward expanding our work beyond temporary support. Another priority is strengthening corporate and funding partnerships so we can continue providing Blessing Bags throughout the year while supporting more youth-led initiatives. Ten years ago, I was a kid who couldn't understand why we couldn't just buy everyone a home. Today, I'm beginning to explore what it could look like to help create housing solutions while continuing to empower young people to make a difference.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
One of the biggest things I've learned is that young people are more likely to get involved when they see someone their own age taking action. I use school visits, speaking engagements, social media, and community events to share my story and show other young people that they don't have to wait until they're adults to make a difference. Through Project I Am, I've engaged more than 3,000 youth volunteers in service initiatives. Some participate in Blessing Bag packing events, while others help recruit volunteers, organize projects, or take on leadership roles through our Next Up program. I also work with schools, businesses, and community organizations to create volunteer opportunities where young people can experience the impact of service firsthand. Our virtual Giving Tuesday initiative is one of my favorite examples. By connecting youth in different locations around one shared activity, we've made it possible for young people to participate even when they can't physically volunteer together. I also use storytelling and digital content to raise awareness about homelessness and encourage conversations that lead to action. My approach is simple: I don't just ask young people to support my project. I encourage them to see themselves as changemakers who can lead projects of their own.
