PINE HILLS, Fla. – At 14 years old, Annabel Joseph is already getting results for her community in the Orange County community of Pine Hills.
Her mom, a survivor of the 9/11 attack, has experienced health issues due to smoke exposure which limited Joseph’s access to clubs outside of school.
That led her to the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida, where she found opportunities that weren’t available before.
“The club was just an open door for a bunch of opportunities ... not only did it benefit me and my sisters it also benefited my mother,” Joseph said.
As her mother’s sickness got worse, she said she found solace in the Mental Health Mythbusters program at the club.
It led her to join the advocacy group and eventually go to Washington D.C. to speak about mental health.
“I got to meet a bunch of people; I got to go to Capitol Hill and speak about food insecurity and how it impacts your mental health,” Joseph said.
She also said her father also inspired her to get results. He is a local pastor and runs a weekly food bank that serves around 100 people who are unhoused.
“It’s just really helpful being able to pass them out and seeing their faces light up to receive this and know that this will hold them off,” she said. “It’s just a really amazing experience and it brought out this caring, helpful side of me.”
A spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida told News 6 Joseph is a leader in the Food for Thought initiative. The initiative partners with Second Harvest Food Bank and is focused on providing food kits and advocating for food security.
Besides serving her community, Joseph is also growing her art and STEM skills during her time in the Boys & Girls Club. She is part of the Youths Arts Initiative Dance Program and the Robotics Club.
“I got to begin to flourish my artistic abilities, that was one of the most memorable moments that I got to experience here,” Joseph said.
All in all, she is working to start up her own business to auction her own art while reaching out to other young artists to help them raise funds.
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