Helping Utterback Middle School during COVID-19

A 11-year-old is helping give back to the Tucson community by helping donate supplies to schools in the Tucson Unified School District.

FORGOTTEN.

NINE ON YOUR SIDE'SVERONIKA VERNACHIO SHOWS USHOW A LOCAL MIDDLE SCHOOL ISGIVING BACK WITH THE HELP OFONE KID.(NAT( UTTERBACK MIDDLE SCHOOLPRINCIPAL TARANIKA SANDERS ANDHER ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AREGETTING BOXES TOGETHER (NAT(AND FILLING THEM UP WITHHYGIENE PRODUCTS.

(NAT( "ASSOON AS WE LEARNED ABOUT THEQUARANTINE AND SCHOOL CLOSURESARE FIRST THOUGHTS WENT TO OURMOST DISENFRANCHISED FAMILIES&WE JUST WANTED TO BE SURE THATTHOSE FAMILIES THAT WE KNOWRELY ON US WOULD STILL SEESOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT WEHAVE HERE ON CAMPUS." FROM THETOILET PAPER TO SHAMPOO& NONEOF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLEWITHOUT THIS 6TH GRADERMASON DORSETT.

"HE'S BEENCOLLECTING ITEMS, ALL KINDS OFHYGIENE ITEMS, TOILET PAPER,DEODORANT, SHAMPOO,CONDITIONER." MASON'S MOMSYLVIE SAYS HE OVERHEARD ACONVERSATION HIS PARENTS WEREHAVING ABOUT UNDERPRIVILEGEDCOMMUNITIES AND GOT CURIOUS."HE CAME AND ASKED ME SEVERALQUESTIONS ABOUT IT AND ITOPENED UP A HUGE CONVERSATIONABOUT PRIVILEGED ANDUNDERPRIVILEGED COMMUNITIES."AND THAT MADE MASON SAY& "MOMWE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, NOW."AND HE DID IMMEDIATELY.

SYLVIESAID MASON HOPPED ON THECOMPUTER AND STARTED LOOKINGUP WAYS TO HELP SCHOOLS INTUCSON.

"HE SPENT 5 HOURS THATDAY HE SENT EMAILS OUT TOPRINICPALS OF SCHOOLS IN OURAREA." AND THAT'S WHEN HE GOTIN CONTACT WITH UTTERBACKMIDDLE SCHOOL'S OUTREACHDIRECTOR.

WHEN SHE GOT MASON'SEMAIL SAYING HE WANTED TODONATE TO THE SCHOOL SHEDIDN'T BELIEVE IT WAS REAL&UNTIL ALL THIS SUPPLIES SHOWEDUP.

"HE HAS HELPED US TOREALLY STALK OUR PANTRY INLIKE THIS INCREDIBLE WAY SOHE'S BEEN MAKING DONATIONS.

HELEGITIMATELY STANDS OUTSIDE OFDIFFERENT STORES AND PETITIONSFOR THOSE WHO HAVE LESS THANHIM." "IT'S REALLY NOT FAIRTHAT PEOPLE HAVE THESEPROBLEMS AND IT'S NOT ALWAYSTHEIR FAULT." WHEN MASON MADEHIS FIRST DONATION TOUTTERBACK HE GOT TO MET SOMEOF THE STUDENTS.

"AND IREMEMBER DRIVING AWAY AND HIMLOOKING AT ME AND SAYING 'WETAKE SO MUCH FOR GRANTED'" NOWTHE BOXES OF DONATED ITEMS AREBEING LOADED UP IN THE CAR(NAT( CARRIED OUT (NAT( ANDBROUGHT TO FAMILIES IN NEED."ALTHOUGH WE'RE SOCIALDISTANCING, WE ARE BRIDGINGTOGETHER&.

YES, WE ARE ASCHOOL BUT WE'RE NOT JUST ASCHOOL.

WE ARE A HUB FOR OURCOMMUNITY AND WE WANT THEM TOKNOW HOW MUCH WE CARE AND OUINKIED." IN THE LAST THREEWEEKS MASON HAS COLLECTEDOVER 8,000 ITEMS FROM PEOPLEIN TUCSON AND FAMILY ANDFRIENDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.BUT HE'S NOT STOPPING THERE.IF YOU'D LIKE TO DONATE HEHAS BOTH AN AMAZON WISHLISTAND EMAIL ON OUR WEBSITEKGUN9.COM.

VV- KGUN9 OYS.WE ARE LEARNING MORE ABOUTFEDERAL CHARGES AGAINST TWO