Love for the Elderly and CAKE

I can't believe it's almost the end of February already! I hope you had a great Valentine's Day! I am excited to announce that I am a Kindness Ambassador for Love for the Elderly! Love for the Elderly is a non-profit organization that focuses on bringing love, joy, and kindness into the lives of elderly citizens across the country. The two programs I am bringing to Iowa are ‘Letters of Love’ and ‘Sunshine Boxes’.

My Grandparents had their 70th birthday party this weekend! My Grandpa is recovering from his cancer treatments and it is so great to see him out and about. My family, those who have passed and those still with us, are a huge part of why I am so passionate about being a Kindness Ambassador for Love for the Elderly. Stay tuned next month for how you can get involved too!

Another amazing experience this month was to help young ladies get ready for their Princess and Papa's Dance! It was amazing working with my sister-queens to help young women feel their most beautiful. Here's some pictures!

It was so fun to spend the first part of the month in Muscatine for the annual Cake Auction. Miss Muscatine, Miss Muscatine's Outstanding Teen, and I sold raffle tickets for the boosters group and enjoyed talking to the children in the Muscatine school system. Did I mention the cake and ice cream was amazing? :D

My Busy Life: Dedicated to Service

It's been a busy few weeks! I have been dedicating my time to working with the elderly, CMN hospitals and families, Miss Iowa prep, and volunteering,

I spend my time working as an in home healthcare aid for the elderly. It is a job that isn't common for a college student, but it's my passion! This week I had a particularly touching experience with one of my patients that illustrates the importance of spending time with the elderly. I visited a couple that has around 40 great grand children spread over the U.S. and Africa as missionaries. The couple spent the majority of their lives building structures in Africa, which has now unfortunately been destroyed by ISIS.  This incredible couple's favorite thing is to spend time with people. The husband described his experience in World War II and the treatment of veterans. The wife and I played Rummikub for 3 hours, giggling with joy. I learned so much from this couple in the short 5 hours that I had with them. It is a true blessing to have the time with the elderly that we do; I encourage you all to take the initiative to meet someone new today!

Miss Iowa prep has been great so far! The annual shopping trip to Chicago was a major success! In addition to getting a lot of wardrobe I also had a lesson in hair and makeup! I also made my final pick for my talent and talent song! This trip was an invaluable experience. I've also been doing an 8 week workout program from my sponsor 8one8 fitness! Fitness videos to come soon, I promise. I love lifting weights and eating a healthy diet to fuel my body.

At Iowa State University I am dedicating my time to the Ronald McDonald House. I am an executive board member for the Red Shoe Club benefiting many CMN hospitals. 

I am a firm believer that when you see a need in your community, any need, you should get involved where you can! I spent my weekend volunteering with the Animal Rescue League of Iowa making caramel apples for their fundraiser. It was a great experience where I got to share my passion for service with the other members. (my cat Prince approves!!!)