Joining #TeamJoCo

Hi friends! I have a very exciting announcement...

I am now officially a part of #TeamJoCo! This means I am on a team with other Miss contestants and under the guidance of a Local Director. Even though Johnson County is a few hours away, Amy Carlson was kind enough to add me to her team along with three other Miss contestants. Take a moment to meet my big sisters!

Miss Johnson County Kendall Schoenekase

Miss Metro KC Makayla Weiser

Miss Heart of Kansas Matti Diener

They're all beautiful, talented, encouraging, and have graciously welcomed me on the team!

Our director, Amy, has already helped me in ways I couldn't even imagine. Thank you for all of the time and effort you have poured into helping me become a more well-rounded contestant and individual :)

I'm looking forward to spending more time with them in preparation for Miss Kansas/MKSOT week and being a proud member of #TeamJoCo! Follow and support all of us by liking the Miss Johnson County Scholarship Pageant on Facebook here.

With love,
Paige

IHOP National Pancake Day

Today was National Pancake Day at IHOPs across the country!!! Children's Miracle Network Hospitals has had a partnership with IHOP and raised millions of dollars on National Pancake Day since 2006. Guests who attended between 7 am - 7 pm received a free stack of pancakes in return for a donation to CMNH. 

I volunteered at my local IHOP in Wichita and visited with customers about CMNH and the Miss America Organization, as well as how their donations will be used to benefit local children. It was my very first appearance as Miss Harvey County's Outstanding Teen and so much fun! I'm thankful to be a part of an organization that has allowed me to meet so many people, gain confidence, and share my passion for my platform. 

This year, IHOP raised $3.9 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who attended and supported Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

With love,

Paige

Presenting to the Hesston Lions Club

Tonight, I had the opportunity to speak to the Hesston Lions Club and share about my mission to end sex trafficking and the Miss Kansas' Outstanding Teen Organization. Our Lions Club is very involved in my community. They volunteer their time to pick up trash along local highways and host an annual pancake feed that raises hundreds of dollars each year.

The Lions were kind enough to host me for dinner and give me a HLC pen. I will be helping them pick up trash later in April!!!

Find your local Lions Club here to find out how you can get involved! :)

With love,
Paige

Winter Workshop

As the pageant is approaching, there are more and more opportunities for us teens to meet up and get to know each other. That was the purpose of our winter workshop today! In addition to learning more about each other and sharing excitement about our platforms, we also spent time discussing the MKSOT schedule and wardrobe for the pageant. I knew some of the girls from last year, but it was great to make new friends and meet new faces as well. I'm so excited to meet the rest of the Miss Kansas' Outstanding Teen Class of 2016! Read more about these ladies here :)

A special thank you to our State Director Melissa for putting this together!

With love,

Paige

Serving at the Harvey County Homeless Shelter

Our National Honors Society chapter volunteered at the Harvey County Homeless Shelter on Saturday, January 23. We prepared a barbecue meal for the residents and each brought a dish to serve. There was pulled pork, mac 'n cheese, coleslaw, baked beans, cantaloupe, and brownies. Many of us had volunteered there in the past with our churches, but it's different every time and really neat to experience with your peers. Once all of the residents were served, we fixed ourselves a plate and sat amongst the residents, chatting and listening to their stories. The most rewarding part was getting to see how appreciative the full-time volunteers and residents were for our willingness to be there. I will definitely make it a priority to return again!

What are you doing today to serve others? :)

With love,

Paige

Ringing the Bells with Salvation Army

My mom and I had the chance to volunteer with Salvation Army last night and ring bells for their annual Red Kettle Campaign at our neighborhood Wal-Mart!! It was something I have always wanted to do, so I contacted our local director. We were able to see familiar faces as well as meet new people and hear their stories. It was an amazing experience and I'm hoping to brave the cold and volunteer again later this month! I highly encourage everyone to volunteer as a bell ringer at some point in their lifetime. It's always more fun with a friend, too! If you would like to donate to Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign, click here.

While researching about the many different ways Salvation Army assists the American people, I learned that anti-human trafficking is one of the causes they support!! On September 27, they had an annual day of prayer for trafficking victims. They also have a page devoted to resources for learning more about the trafficking industry and how to stop it. You can visit it here.

Thanks for stopping by!!

With love,
Paige

Dressember Campaign!

Hello friends! I am very excited to share with you about the Dressember Campaign I will be participating in and how you can be a part of combating human trafficking.

About
The Dressember Foundation uses fashion to advocate for women who've been exploited for their femininity. In 2009, founder Blythe Hill was just a college girl who wanted to create a personal style challenge by wearing a dress every day during the month of December. A huge hit, her idea spread like wildfire and the possibilities seemed endless for where Dressember could go. In 2013, Hill began to give Dressember a purpose by partnering with International Justice Mission to raise money for anti-trafficking. In the year of 2014, Dressember raised $465,000 with 2,600 participants. Their message is continuing to reach others and a global movement is underway. (Facts from Dressember Website; dressember.org)

Dressember + You
You can help support my platform and the Dressember Foundation by:

1. Participating in the Dressember Campaign by creating a page, raising money, and wearing a dress every day during the month of December.

2. Donate money to my Dressember page here.

3. Purchase the Dressember Dress of 2015 here.

4. Promote Dressember on social media! Use the hashtag #DressemberKS so we can see the difference Kansans are making!!

Thank you for your support of me, Dressember, and the fight for justice against human trafficking!

With love,
Paige