Friday, November 8th, marked a moment of camaraderie and kindness as Alcorn State University (ASU) student Ty’Rah Ray organized a donation drive for a local family in need.
Ray, a Junior Biology major from New Orleans, Louisiana was on her way to Vicksburg, Mississippi when she noticed a families’ home tragically engulfed in flames. Ray’s first response was to get in touch with the proper authorities but she didn’t stop there.
Once in contact with the Sheriff’s Department, she went on to inquire about who the home belonged to. From there she was able to contact the family which consisted of 6 individuals. She then decided something must be done to assist this family in need. Ray stated she was inspired to take action because, “I wanted to make a difference in the world big or small and I thought this was the perfect opportunity.” She reached out to several peers and clubs on campus including POWER, which she is the President of, for donations of clothes and toiletries. The response she received was nothing short of remarkable. Donations consisted of several bags of clothes, soaps, towels, and food.
The drive went on from Monday, November 4th to Friday, November 8th. On the last day of the drive, Ray and Graduating Senior and Mass Communications major from Vicksburg, Mississippi, Jazmine Greene, met with the family to drop off the donations. The family was very grateful to receive help from Ray’s efforts and expressed a deep appreciation for the care and generosity shown towards them.
Aundrea Brown-McBride, a Senior Political Science/History major from Los Angeles, California, and member of POWER stated, “It [the donation drive and experience] helped me appreciate the things that I have and I understand how things can change in an instant in life and it’s refreshing to know that there are still some caring individuals in the world.”