Joshua Stern

Born in Toronto, Joshua Stern had anything but a typical childhood. Between struggling to find where he fit within his strict family, having a strong will at a young age, and dealing with the unimaginable phenomenon of having dreams he could control and visions that would come true, Joshua quickly became an At-Risk Youth. As the distance between him and his family grew Joshua experimented with drugs and alcohol in an attempt to make the dreams and visions stop. Joshua experienced many of life's unfortunate hardships before he became an adult including sexual assault, being sent to a group home by age 16, crime, and violence.

Using the challenges he's overcome as inspiration, Joshua has found his voice through the written word. His autobiography 'A Mother's Love' was written after a vivid dream where Joshua received a visit from his deceased mother.

The book chronicles his unbelievable journey from child to adulthood. Holding nothing back, Joshua's 'all or nothing' approaches to writing takes you through the gripping details of all the tragedy, adventure and eventual triumph he has encountered.

Joshua's talent also lends to his success in the music business. Using his ability to harness the raw emotion and passion of his life's experiences, he has become an established music producer, songwriter and rapper going by the name “The Truth”.

Through all of this, Joshua's work is as much about healing his own wounds as it is about providing a platform for others to see that they too can overcome their own misfortunes.

Now, a dedicated writer, youth advocate, and family man, Joshua has put his energy into spreading the word and helping as many At-Risk Youth and parents, as possible. Hoping to reach young people growing up in similar situations, he is working on creating After-School and weekend programs as well as eventually Marion's Place. His goals for this youth centre, is to be like no other, not only helping those in need of support through shelters but also making it a hub for positivity through education, outreach and therapy.

Joshua's ultimate goal with Marion's Place is to offer At-Risk and Low-Income Youth an opportunity and an environment to grow into healthy and responsible young adults with purpose and focus.