VolunShare

Hi family & friends!!! Please go follow on Instagram for more on my journey as Miss Teen Connecticut & the growth of KIDSKare 💕

What an amazing and indelible week! Gratitude to all who voted and supported me since the beginning—I owe it all to you. It's a true honor to be the representative of the great state of Connecticut as Miss Teen Volunteer. The lessons learned and friendships formed are invaluable, and I'll carry them with me always. A heartfelt congratulations to Miss Maryland, the 2024 Miss Teen Volunteer America. Keep following my journey with KIDSKare; there's so much more in store!

Fantastic second night of prelims! Tomorrow marks the big day—finals! Excitement builds as we unveil the top 15 and People's Choice awards, progressing until the judges crown the queen bee! Sending love to all the incredible girls—I'm cherishing these unforgettable experiences. Best of luck to everyone!👑

Finished Day 2 and conquered Day 1 of prelims! Sharing our interview outfits from this morning – what an amazing day! Grateful to still be in the top 5 for People's Choice. Keep those votes coming!🩷
https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLJY3SV7XV8NM/checkout/ZUVENQYCM6GCZJEE4XHCW5UO

Here's a sneak peek into some more moments from Nationals! 📸✨ Loving every second of this incredible journey. Miss Teen Volunteer America

Day one down, and it was absolutely amazing surrounded by so many lovely girls! 🌟 Catch me in action as I compete in Fitness/Activewear and Evening Gown at 8 pm EST on Pagentlive.com. Your support means the world to me!
Miss Teen Volunteer America

Nationals here we come!! I just arrived to Tennessee and couldn’t be more excited for the week ahead.

I am contestant #10 out of 51 girls. This is what I will be up to this week:
Day 1 - private interviews
Day 2 - fitness & wellness
Day 3 - evening gown
Day 4 - talent (I will be doing an Irish step dance number)

Don’t forget to VOTE!!!
https://linktr.ee/MissCTvol
(Voting closes March 9th at 10 pm EST)

Here's a brief overview of my recent volunteer activities over the past few months:

On November 20th, Mercy High School organized a pie making/baking event, and both my friends from Mercy and Xavier joined in. Together, we successfully crafted and distributed over 400 apple and pumpkin pies, contributing to the Middlesex County Thanksgiving Project.

December 3rd saw my participation in the Wethersfield Police Department's annual toy fundraiser, supporting the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

On December 7, my "Miss" Taliya and I attended "Holidays on Main" in Old Wethersfield. This festive night allowed us to engage with the community while working at the horse and buggy ride, taking photos, and interacting with many parents and children. Special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Lamore for treating us to plenty of kettle corn from Lamore's popcorn booth!

Taliyah and I were present at "Holiday Heat" on December 12th. This event, a fundraiser for residents facing heat insecurity in Watertown, CT, raised over $20,000 to assist families struggling to heat their homes during the cold winter months.

In January, my friend Sam Andrea and I volunteered for the Jordan Porco Foundation, a Wethersfield-based non-profit working to prevent su***de and promote mental health among young adults.

I visited Shelly Pizzoferrato's 2nd-grade classroom at Elizabeth Green Elementary School, teaching the students about KIDSKare and witnessing my platform come to life.

On February 9-10th, my family organized a fundraiser for my KIDSKare platform and the Miss Teen Ct. Scholarship Fund at Wood-n-Tap in Newington.

On February 12th, friends from Wethersfield and Mercy High School, along with Gina Burby and her Faith Formation students from Christ the King Parish, prepared meals for 75 homeless men at ImmaCare Shelter in Hartford.

On February 19th, I attended the UNICO famous Macaroni Dinner, meeting and greeting Wethersfield residents and learning about the positive impact of this Italian/American volunteer organization on our community.

On April 14th, I've been invited by the Girl Scouts of America to the "Make the World a Better Place Faire," where I'll connect with approximately 2,000 Girl Scouts, educating them about KIDSKare and, hopefully, inspiring the creation of a KIDSKare girl scout badge.

Throughout my journey as Miss Ct. Teen Volunteer, I've realized the incredible potential and valuable resource we possess as kids. Currently, I'm in discussions with our mayor about proclaiming a Kids Volunteer Day, aiming to gain recognition for our contributions from others.
Miss Teen Volunteer America

I selected the sun as the focal point for my platform's logo, captivated by its representation of warmth. The sun, with its ability to provide energy for empathy, hope, and love, forms the foundation of my belief in volunteering.

The KIDSKare 12 Rays, or "12 Ways," to volunteer are as follows: Spiritual, Poverty, Mentoring, Sick, Mental Health, Self-Care, Lonely, Elderly, Environment, Animals, Family, and Friends. Inspired by these principles, I have initiated the formation of my first "army" of KIDSKare volunteers.

The vision for the club involves hosting monthly meetings where we select a Volunteer "RAY" to focus on. As a group, we brainstorm fun, creative, and meaningful ways to contribute to this specific ray. One of the ideas is to celebrate "Random Acts of Kindness" days under the "Friendship Ray." These days could be advertised on Mercy's website and through posters we create during our meetings. Club members act as "secret smile spotters," reporting acts of kindness over morning announcements or writing friendly notes to share the positive deeds they witness.

I am thrilled about plans for KIDSKare to collaborate with the UCONN Huskies and Xavier High School to organize a mini-dance "Husky-thon" at Mercy this fall, with proceeds benefiting Connecticut Children’s Medical Center under the "Sick Ray."
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section on where you envision KIDSKare volunteering in the future!
Miss Teen Volunteer America

I began to delve into a new realm of helping others, experiencing a heightened sense of joy and accomplishment. Witnessing the happiness I could bring to others, I started wishing my friends could join me in volunteering. That's when I had a revelation—why not create a means to provide kids with more access to volunteer opportunities?

Considering the potential impact of young volunteers, I pondered, "Who better than kid volunteers?" Reflecting on the abundance of energy and the capacity for creating positive change that children possess, I thought, "Kids could undoubtedly find joy in volunteering!"

It struck me that we needed a multitude of kids involved to maximize our impact. This realization led me to Helen Keller's quote: "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." Everything started falling into place as I contemplated our S.E.R.V.E initiative.

Driven by the desire to EDUCATE and EMPOWER kids to volunteer, I aimed to make it meaningful and important for them. I envisioned offering them choices and, from these considerations, the idea for "KIDSKare" emerged as my volunteer platform.
Miss Teen Volunteer America

On November 12, 2023, to my utter surprise, I was crowned Miss Ct. Teen Volunteer, marking a significant milestone in my life as I had never ventured into anything like this before. Over the past months, I have embraced the honor and pride that comes with donning my crown and sash, proudly representing the State of Connecticut at various community events, fundraisers, and volunteer opportunities.

My appearance as Miss Connecticut Teen Volunteer took place at the Citrus Pageant in Hartford, CT, back in November 2023. The experience was unforgettable as I adorned my crown and sash for the very first time, reminiscing about the excitement I shared with the newly crowned winners, having received my own title just weeks prior. The journey has been a whirlwind of new experiences, and I'm eager to share more about my activities, the development of my platform "KIDSKare," and my plans for the future.
Miss Teen Volunteer America