February 19, 2016 – About 15 of my friends came together with a simple goal: do something that mattered.
We didn’t have sponsors.
We didn’t have a budget.
We didn’t have a blueprint.
What we had were items we donated ourselves; toothpaste, toothbrushes, socks, soap, tissue, lotion, wipes, granola bars and a shared belief that small acts could create real impact.
That day, we packed 88 Blessing Bags.
It didn’t look like a movement.
It looked like a group of young people who refused to wait.
But that moment changed everything.
Where Youth-Led Service Begins
Project I Am was built on something simple: ownership.
Not adults assigning tasks.
Not youth observing from the sidelines.
But young people leading.
Over the last decade, that original 88 bags have grown into:
10 Years of Impact
- Hundreds of thousands of Blessing Bags distributed
- Thousands of youth mobilized
- Nearly $1 million raised to support communities in need
- Programs expanded beyond the U.S.
Those numbers matter. They represent real people served.
But the deeper impact is what happens to young people when they lead.
Research shows that when youth participate in community service and civic engagement, they build stronger leadership skills, deeper empathy, and a lasting commitment to their communities. National surveys report that roughly half of teens engage in volunteer or community service each year when given the opportunity and those experiences significantly shape their long-term civic involvement.
When young people are trusted with responsibility, they rise to meet it.
I’ve seen it firsthand. Students walk into service unsure of themselves and walk out confident. I’ve seen volunteers become organizers. I’ve seen service spark entrepreneurship, advocacy, and purpose.
Youth aren’t waiting to lead. They just need the opportunity.
Growth Beyond the Bags
As Project I Am grew, I had to grow too.
What started as passion had to develop structure.
What started as heart had to become strategy.
Balancing school, athletics, business, and leadership taught me something critical:
Impact isn’t sustained by energy alone.
It’s sustained by discipline, partnerships, and vision.
Growth over the past ten years hasn’t just meant doing more.
It’s meant doing better.
Stronger systems.
Smarter strategy.
More youth at decision-making tables.
More focus on long-term solutions.
What the Next 10 Years Require
We’ll officially celebrate this milestone on March 20th, but this moment isn’t just about looking back.
It’s about looking forward.
If the first decade proved that youth-led service is powerful, the next decade will focus on building solutions that work, scalable, sustainable systems where young people don’t just participate in change, but design it.
Service is where it starts.
Solutions are where we’re going.
And youth leadership will remain at the center of both.
Thank You for 10 Years
To every young person who packed a bag.
To every supporter who donated supplies.
To every partner who believed in this vision.
To every family member who showed up.
Thank you.
Project I Am has never been about one event or one person.
It started with 15 friends and 88 Blessing Bags.
Ten years later, it’s a movement powered by young leaders who still believe the same thing we believed that day:
You don’t have to wait to make a difference.
And we’re just getting started.
– Jahkil
