OUR MISSION

While the greatest change is only possible through numbers, it must first start with one. The outcry of love, passion and emotion throughout our cities makes us proud to be a part of Minnesota. It is now time for us to rebuild, refuel, and most importantly, support our communities.

The mission of #ChangeStartsWithMe is to rebuild our community physically and emotionally by assisting fellow Minnesotans who have been negatively impacted by the recent social, health and economic crises. Our goal is to listen and better understand racial inequality that exists in our state and beyond, then take action to drive long-term positive change.

No matter big or small, everyone has a role to play. Hold yourself accountable, fight the battles you deem necessary, and stay in pursuit of change. Make the decision to leave an impact and continue to stand up for what you believe in. Our hearts lie with citizens of Color and our sights are set on a brighter future for all.

INITIATIVES

#ChangeStartsWithMe is a grass-roots movement of personal accountability. We are a self-driven ecosystem of family, friends, neighbors, and businesses that seek unity through action.

01

ADDRESSING FOOD & ESSENTIALS INSECURITIES

Our goal is to continuously assist families in Minnesota with healthy food and essential personal product needs resulting from recent social, health and economic crises. We partner with the Sanneh Foundation, the Firefighters United of St. Paul, among other twin city food banks, churches and schools.

Hosting Donation Drives to provide food and essentials to community members.
Mobilizing large scale, on the spot distribution events in the wake of crises.
Providing medical and pharmaceutical supplies to those in need.
Gathering and distributing healthy meal kits during the holiday season.

02

BUSINESS GRANTS & MENTORSHIP FOR BIPOC ENTREPRENEURS

There are many reasons why a small business might struggle to scale, from social or economic crises, to the pandemic, lack of key connections, technology gaps, lack of vendor support and beyond. These headwinds can be significantly amplified for entrepreneurs of color. We support BIPOC founders by providing financial grants, mentorship and strategic networking.

Assistance to small business owners in the form of grants and mentorship.
Supporting these bipoc businesses with our patronship and by evangelizing their products and services.
Negotiating affordable professional service contracts with: Bankers, Consultants, Accountants, Attorneys, Marketers, Tech & Product Vendors and more…

03

UNDERSERVED YOUTH ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS

In the words of Nelson Mandela – “the youth are our greatest treasure, they’re our future”. Yet far too often, children and teens in underserved communities lack access to after school and summer programs that teach leadership skills, discipline, teamwork and conflict resolution. We carefully select and sponsor inner-city programs that foster mental and physical fitness, music, the arts and sports. These guided programs give children the self-confidence and mentorship needed to truly soar, and friendships that will last a lifetime.

Assistance to non-profit youth programs in the form of grants, resources and mentorship.
Access to transportation, food and facilities as needed.
Student scholarship programs to support primary and secondary education.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

#ChangeStartsWithMe. Anyone and everyone can get involved, listen, learn, pray and serve in some way.

01 Donations
& Support

Click here to donate directly to Change Starts With Me on our secure PayPal site.
Purchase a Change Starts With Me t-shirt or simply make a donation to support our initiatives.
Funds will be used to provide essential goods, rebuild businesses, and help families who have been impacted directly by recent social, health and economic crises.
CSWM me has partnered with Altroo. Together, we are leveraging the power of a national network and high value contests, which give contestants a unique win/win opportunity to do good for themselves and the community.

02 Educate Yourself
& Others

Listen and learn to understand and address specific needs of the community.
Spread awareness of racial inequalities and take a stance for unity.
Connect with us on Facebook and share your thoughts on where our community can help.

03 Volunteer
& Mentor

Provide help at local events, volunteer professional skills. Connect with us on Facebook to learn more about volunteering.
Mentor – business leaders can provide mentorship to local small business owners who have been negatively impacted and need both financial and emotional support.

PARTNERS

Alltroo

What is the connection to Altroo?

Change starts with Me has partnered with Altroo to help transform the world! Our collective purpose is to grow the charitable giving industry by offering amazing experiences—and amplifying the impact we can make together. We are leveraging the power of a national network and high value contests, which give it’s contestants a unique win/win opportunity to do good for themselves and the community. We believe the way charitable fundraising is traditionally done is inefficient and needs to change. Charities rely on things like galas, auctions and in-person events to fundraise. The amount of money charities can raise with these outdated methods is limited by things like the highest price they can charge and the number of people who can attend. While Altroo’s mission is to support many different charitable causes, each and every contest will directly benefit CSWM financially.