Kinship Center Celebration November 15, 2009

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This past weekend I attended the thirteenth annual celebration of the Kinship Center. It was a wonderful gathering of children and families to honor the start of National Adoption Awareness month. The theme of this years celebration was " Follow your Dreams". I met with parents and talked with kids of all ages. I made sure to tell them that anything they want in life they can achieve. They need to stay in school and work hard. It was great to see all the happy children and parents that have been enriched by the Kinship Center. Their willingness to give every child a home made me proud to be apart of this special day. My sister queen Dedria Burrnet: Miss Teen California Intl. 2010 sopke of her adoption experience and her platform Luggage of Love. Dedria has collected thousands of pieces of luggage that she has handed out to children all over California. I also spent the day with Rebekah Negrete, former Mrs. California Intl. 2007 and Mrs. International 2007, as she was our travel companion for the event. Rebekan and her husband Greg have adopted two little girls. It was thrilling for me to watch my friend talk about her little girls and how exciting it is to be a mom. The Kinship Center helps nearly 2,000 traumatized children each year. They are committed to serving children and making sure that each and every one of them gets a home. As I left the celebration I was so thankful for places like the Kinship Center which is dedicated to children. I thought about all the happy children who now have families and a place to call home. If I inspired just one child at this celebration then I have done my job as Mrs. California Intl 2010. Happy Thanksgiving.

The Bakersfield Pageant 2010

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This past weekend was the 17th annual Teen, Miss and Mrs. Bakersfield Pageant. It was so great to see six weeks of hard work and dedication come together. I was not only a guest at the local pageant, but also serve on the committee that helps to produce it. This years pageant was full of excitment as 31 contestents competed for the three coveted titles. The girls competed in interview, fitness and evening gown and all did an amazing job. Since I started my pageant career in Bakersfield my friend and director, Gayle Tape, asked if I would say a few words. I was honored to talk about my humble beginnings as a local titleholder in Bakersfield and about my new journey as Mrs. California International 2010. The new Miss Teen Bakersfield is Makenzie Carter, Miss Bakersfield is Katherine Cooksey and Mrs. Bakersfield is Megan Raymond. They have an exciting year ahead of them as they will each promote their platforms and do various appearances in the community. The 2009 titleholders, Rhenana, Angelica and Erica you were amazing this year. I feel so blessed to have gotten to know each of you. My heart will always have a special place in it for you girls. Love you.

Harvest for Hunger 2009

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This was my first and only appearance with the 2009 Bakersfield Titleholders as they are giving up their crowns in less than a week. We had so much fun!!!
The Harvest for Hunger event is put on by the Bakersfield Association of Realtors and all of the proceeds go to support the Golden Empire Gleaners. The Gleaners were formed in 1985 by a local Bible study group. Their mission is to glean from local farms the estimated 300 million pounds of food that was going to waste annually. This food is used to feed the hungry of Kern County. Since 1985 the Golden Empire Gleaners have distributed millions of pounds of food to Kern County. Last year alone over 188,000 people were served. This year the Gleaners are helping more than 20,000 people a month. This was such an amazing event. Children were able to decorate cupcakes, get their face painted and play in the bounce house all while dressed up in their Halloween costumes.
What a great way to lead into November with an event that cares about feeding the homeless in Kern County. It is a great reminder that we should all be truly thankful for what we have in our lives. Having fun with kids and giving back to our community, it dosen't get any better than that.