About a year ago, my partner, Dr. Robert Gillio, introduced me to Josh Williams, based out of New Orleans and Florida. He runs a small non-profit project called You Do Matter and is very active in the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, one of the oldest African American Fraternities in the country. In fact, I learned that Martin Luther King was an Alpha.

Over the past several months, Josh has worked tiredlessly to launch a pilot program called Advance the Dream, with some select Alpha Phi Alpha Chapters across the South and Southwest Regions to provide foundational feedback on program content and proposed technology provided by the Force for Health Network. He recruited about 50 regional, national and Chapter leaders to onboard into the program to provide feedback and guidance, in an effort to impact the minority health disparities facing African American families across the country.

He helped coordinate an Alpha Health series called Self-Care Sundays throughout June, which was a zoom series focused on how the Alphas can better own their own physical and mental health statuses now, and also launched a Virtual STEAM² Camp for You Do Matter, that provides STEAM based exposure, access, mentors and resources for 10 – 24 year old participants, representing 4-5 states across the South.

The world needs more people like Josh Williams, which is why he is my #ForceforHealthHero