Paris Williams, 11, is on a mission to help the unhoused.
This dynamic pre-teen established the Paris Cares Foundation when she was six years old and has distributed over 10,000 care packages to those in need. Her charitable work at a young age has not gone unnoticed.
The city of St. Louis declared January 18, 2025, as Paris Cares Day to honor her dedication and impact on the community. Her story of kindness, perseverance, and the unique power of young people making a difference has led to appearances on Good Morning America, KSDK, iHeart Radio, KMOX, as well as the American Girl website.
“After my first outing in donating, I knew I wanted to continue this community service work,” Williams said.
“So, I started my foundation to help as many people in need as possible with the support of others.”
Williams believes just because someone has fallen into hard times doesn’t make them less deserving or unworthy of human dignity.
“Sometimes people make mistakes, or unfortunate circumstances put them in difficult situations,” Williams said.
She says when she is downtown donating items to the unhoused community, they have been kind to her and very appreciative. The Paris Cares Bag is filled with food, and the foundation provides three options for care packages: the Paris Cares Bag, the Paris Cares Birthday Box, and the Paris Cares Box. All include everyday essentials.
The foundation also accepts donations, including recent gifts of 300 Bombas socks, 300 toothbrushes and more than 300 meals.
“It makes me feel just really happy to know that I am helping someone and one day I might be able to change the world,” Williams said.
“It just makes me really happy to know that I helped care for someone else.”
Her parents have been on the journey with Paris since she began her mission to help those less fortunate.
Alicia Suber, Williams’ mother, said during a KMOX interview “She really had a plan.”
“She executed it, and she comes up with new ideas to, kind of, keep us going and to keep the community going rallying around her. So, I’m so proud of her.”
When Willians was in kindergarten, her teacher, Mrs. Yeitkee, read One Boy’s Magic to the classroom. The book is about a boy discovering his magic power in giving and helping the homeless.
That story inspired Williams to start feeding the homeless in her area. She passed out 35 Paris Cares bags on her first food drive.
“Since then, my efforts have grown tremendously,” Wiliams said.
Being able to help others is a source of great pride, she said. “Sometimes, one random act of kindness can give someone hope that things will get better.”
Williams hopes to inspire more kids to get involved in their community. She wants to have a community service day inviting all youth to participate.
“I want to show them how easy it is to help, whether by hosting a coat drive, food drive, or toy drive,” said Williams.
She suggests starting small, by donating toys and clothes. St. Louis data shows there are 760 year-round, city-funded shelter beds.
An additional 147 beds can open during brutally cold conditions, according to the city’s website. An alarming report shows Black residents are nearly four times as likely to experience homelessness as white residents.
Black residents are the most likely to experience homelessness, at a rate of 32 emergency housing recipients per 1,000 residents. If rates of homelessness were equitable, there would be 3,401 fewer Black residents in need of emergency housing services.
Also, the city historically relies on an annual point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness. The new data shows that 2,057 people self-identified as homeless in May 2024.
Williams has received support from the Finesse Volleyball Academy, where she is participating in the sport
Her future goals are to continue growing her foundation, doing well in school, keep playing volleyball, and just enjoy being a kid. She plans to attend college and become a doctor.
“One day, I hope to open a shelter,” Williams said.
“A nice one, with private rooms, beds, showers, and resources to help the homeless get back on their feet.”