Through pageantry I have been involved in many campaigns and charity events, as time goes by you start to see exactly which charities you want to work more closely with and why. I was very lucky to be asked to be an ambassador for Project Code Red 3 years ago just after I came back from the international finals in Paris of FOTG. They had just started out and wanted beauty queens who had a passion for charity work and a presence on social media. It's always an honour to be asked to any charity event and to help, as that is one of the main reasons I decided to compete in pageants, to get more involved! But to be asked as an ambassador is simply unreal!
A little more information on #ProjectCodeRed. They are an non for profit organisation that helps spread awareness for homeless woman on their period. They ask for sanitary items to be donated to homeless shelters as these are the least donated items. When it comes to being on your period, you don't think much about putting a pack in your weekly shopping, as we have done since we first got our periods as a teen, but when you are homeless, have no shelter and the money you've collecting is only enough for a warm drink and food? You are always going to go for the food option 100 per cent. The best thing about Project Code Red is raising awareness, so the donations can go all over the UK which is why they have ambassadors all over the UK too!
Being an ambassador, I have done many drives to collect items. For the past three years I have done a collection at my work for Threshold Homeless Charity which is based in my hometown of Swindon. We collect other items as well as sanitary needs but through being an ambassador it is these items I will promote the most. I have also encouraged other beauty queens to join in my challenge, recently whilst working towards the Ms YEMI title I ran a social media campaign to get donations from other beauty queens to make sure we had more sanitary items as it seems people will donating shower gels left, right and centre but no tampons were in sight!
The collection was a success, I have also arranged collections at different pageant events, as it is such a simple task to pick up an extra pack of tampons or sanitary pads and counts towards that beauty queens total. I have also been interviewed by the press in regards to the Tampon Tax, and my views on the tax. Thankfully a couple of years on, some supermarkets take the tampon tax hit so you get the true price for this "luxury" item which is a basic human right. We don't chose to have periods, it's in our genetics. I look forward to next November when I do my fourth homeless drive, and can teach my little girl the importance of charity work starting from home.
If you would like to find out any more information about the charity, please find them on facebook:
Get in touch with your local homeless shelter so you can see what you can do, there are also other charities which help with sanitary needs like Pads for Princesses and also other pageant girls are also looking for donations, Sharon Miss Oxfordshire International 2017 is collecting sanitary items for local schools.
So that is just one of the many charities I help out, and the positive work I have been able to do through pageantry. Next week I will discussing my Patron Charity, The Beni Bear club and you will get two blog posts as I look through all my memories of 2017!! It has been an amazing year and I am so grateful to be ending the year with my YEMI crown firmly on my head! (It's never coming off!!)
Lots of Love
Your Young European Ms International Hannah
x <3 x
If you would like to follow in my footsteps or catch up on what us YEMI queens are doing, check out the facebook page:
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