Project I Am hero joins North Suburban YMCA event

Jahkil Naeem Jackson, the award-winning, 14-year-old founder of Project I Am, will join North Suburban YMCA volunteers in a charitable event Saturday in Northbrook.

Culminating its annual Holiday Giveback Drive, the North Suburban YMCA will be packing Blessing Bags filled with essential goods for Project I Am from noon to 1 p.m.

Jackson's project, which he created in Chicago when he was 8 years old, will then distribute the bags to homeless people.

In November, the North Suburban YMCA started its Giveback Drive, collecting toothpaste, pocket tissues, small bottles of water, travel-size shampoo and conditioner, socks, baby wipes, granola bars and other items.

Items and monetary donations may still be dropped off through Friday at the YMCA's front desk. More information is available at (847) 272-7250.

The goal of the drive was to have enough items to fill at least 250 Blessing Bags.

Like the North Suburban YMCA, Jackson's Project I Am is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization.

Jackson was affected by the experience of helping his aunt, Ernestine Smith, distribute food to the homeless in Chicago.

He went on to form his own charitable organization. Since starting Project I Am, Jackson has raised more than $275,000 for homeless people and engaged more than 1,000 volunteers. His efforts and his Blessing Bags have reached more than 60,000 people in the United States and globally, including Africa, South America and the Bahamas.

Named a youth ambassador by the Chicago anti-poverty organization Heartland Alliance in 2016, Jackson has been noted as one of Black Entertainment Television's (BET) "15 under 15" and earned an International Diana Award in memory of the late Princess of Wales.

Jackson's efforts have been acknowledged by former President Barack Obama, NBA star LeBron James, Gatorade, Marvel and CNN, among others.