'Changing the stereotype': Nonprofit holds 5th annual Back-To-School drive
A TOUR ACROSS THE STATE.
>> SYDNEY ROSS IS PART OF OUR
WRAL DIGITAL TEAM AND SHE'S
MAKING A BIG IMPACT BEYOND THE
NEWSROOM. HER NON-PROFIT
CHANGE. THE TIDE IS UPLIFTING
CHILDREN ALL ACROSS THE STATE
AND NOW GEARING UP FOR ITS
BIGGEST BACK-TO-SCHOOL DRIVE.
IT YET. WE'RE SO THRILLED TO
HAVE CITY IN STUDIO WITH US
TO TALK ABOUT THESE BIG GOALS
AND THIS NONPROFIT WITH AN EVEN
BIGGER HEART CITY. GREAT TO
SEE YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO.
CAN CHANGE THE TIDE. TELL ME
ABOUT THAT. MEAN, CHANGE THE
TYPE OF SHORT FOR CHANGING THE
STEREOTYPE.
>> WHEN I CREATED THIS
NONPROFIT WHEN I WAS 15, I
WANTED TO CREATE THIS MESSAGE
TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BE ABOVE
THE STEREOTYPES THAT WE SEE
OFTEN SO MUCH IN THE MEDIA AND
OUT AND THAT WE CONSUME SO
MUCH. AND THAT'S WAS THE
INSPIRATION BEHIND IS STARTING
TO CHANGE THE TIDE.
>> HOW GRATIFYING I YOU WHEN
YOU SEE HOW BIG IT HAS BECOME
AND HOW SUCCESSFUL IT HAS
BECOME.
>> I MEAN, IT'S THAT'S TRULY
A BLESSING. I CAN'T THANK GOD
ENOUGH FOR SEEING JUST HOW MUCH
THIS ORGANIZATION HAS GROWN.
THE SUPPORT I'VE GOTTEN FROM MY
FAMILY FROM MY FRIENDS FROM
THIS COMMUNITY. IT'S SOMETHING
THAT I JUST I WOULD HAVE NEVER
IMAGINED AT 15.
>> 15, WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE
YOU WANT TO CHANGE? HOW PEOPLE
VIEW BLACK AND BROWN CHILDREN
WOULD CAUSE WHEN YOU LOOKED
IN THE MIRROR, YOU SAW A BROWN
GIRL. YOU WANTED TO CHANGE THAT
IMAGE.
>> ACTUALLY STARTED FROM HIGH
SCHOOL PROJECT. MY TEACHER TOLD
US TO CHEW SOMETHING THAT WE
WERE PASSIONATE ABOUT. IT'S A
MAKE A PROJECT ON IT. AND I
AT THE TIME I WAS REALLY
PASSIONATE ABOUT HISTORY AND
I LOVED. AND SO I THOUGHT I
WOULD DO SOMETHING ALONG THE 2.
BUT ONCE I WAS SITTING
AFTER-SCHOOL WATCHING THE NEWS
AND MY GRANDPARENTS, I KNEW
THEN I SIT SOMETHING HAS TO
CHANGE. I WANT TO BE THAT
PERSON THAT PUTS A POSITIVE
MESSAGE IN THE MEDIA TO
ENCOURAGE PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE
ME TO BE ABOVE THE STEREOTYPES
THAT WE SEE EACH DAY.
EXCELLENT. SO HAPPY YOU DID
THAT. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
BACK-TO-SCHOOL DRIVE. WHAT
MAKES THIS YEAR A LITTLE
DIFFERENT?
>> SO THIS YEAR IS OUR 5TH
YEAR. I'M SUPER SUPER EXCITED
EACH YEAR AND HAS CONTINUED
TO I STARTED DURING THE
PANDEMIC ONCE.
>> STUDENTS STARTED RETURNING
TO SCHOOL. I WANT IT TO ANY
PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS.
AND I DIDN'T WANT FAMILY STAFF
TO DECIDE BETWEEN HOUSEHOLD
ITEMS AND SCHOOL ESSENTIALS
AND EACH YEAR IT HAS CONTINUED
TO GROW WITH THIS YEAR BEING
OUR 5TH YEAR. WE ARE PARTNERING
WITH THE CITY OF RALEIGH TO
HELP SUPPORT FAMILIES IN NEED
AS WELL AS DONATING TO WESTERN
NORTH CAROLINA TO OUT THAT IT
WAS GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT
THAT. HOW DID THAT CONNECTS TO
COME ABOUT? BECAUSE WE'VE DONE
YOU'VE WRITTEN A NUMBER OF
STORIES AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA HAVE TO
LEAN IN AND NOW AND JOHN TOP.
>> ONCE AFTER HELENE LAST, I
KNEW I WANTED TO HELP, BUT I
DIDN'T KNOW HOW I WANTED TO
CONTINUE TO GIVE BACK THAT.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW.
>> HOW TO GIVE BACK. AND THEN
THIS YEAR WHEN WE WERE PLANNING
FOR THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL DRIVE A
NEW, THEN THAT'S WHAT I WANTED
TO. I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HELP
WHEN WE THINK OF RECOVERING.
WE KNOW THAT TAKES TIME AND IT
CAN TAKE MONTHS AND EVEN YEARS.
AND SO I WANTED TO GIVE BACK TO
THOSE FAMILIES THAT WERE
IMPACT. THAT'S NOT GOING TO
ASK YOU FOR YOU. WHAT DO YOU
FEEL WHEN YOU SEE THESE
CHILDREN AND GETTING THESE BACK
TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES? IT'S
HONESTLY.
>> IT'S EMOTIONAL SEEING JUST
HOW MUCH THESE KIDS LOVE THE
SCHOOL SUPPLIES, HOW MUCH THEY
LOVE. I LOVE GIVING BACK TO THE
KIDS AND AT BILTMORE HILLS.
BUT MILES, AS ONE OF THE
CENTER'S THAT I GREW UP GOING
AND A TENANT FOR SUMMER CAMP
ENABLE GOT MY FIRST JOB THERE.
SO JUST BEING ABLE TO GO BACK
AND JUST IT'S SUCH A BLESSING
TO ALL OF YOU IS WORKING TO GET
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
FOUNDATION. YEAH. SO PEOPLE
CAN GO ONLINE TO CHANGE THE
TYPE PROJECT THAT ORG OR YOU
CAN GO ON FACEBOOK AND
INSTAGRAM. IT'S BOTH CHANGE
THE TYPE AND THAT'S WHERE YOU
CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
CHANGE THE TYPE OF
BACK-TO-SCHOOL DRIVE AND OTHER
INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE COMING
TO SYDNEY. THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING
FOR OUR CHILDREN. THANK YOU,
SIR. APPRECIATE IT. I'M SO
PROUD OF YOU. THANK YOU.
CHANGE THE TIDE. BACK-TO-SCHOOL
DONATION WILL TAKE PLACE THIS
AFTERNOON FROM 3.30, TO 6.30,
OF THE HILLS COMMUNITY CENTER
IN RALEIGH IS SITTING. JUST
MENTIONED, YOU FIND MORE
INFORMATION AT CHANGE, THE TYPE