Count Me In: Why Awareness, Access, & Action Matters
There’s a difference between seeing people… and truly noticing them.
Some people walk through life carrying struggles you would never recognize just by looking at them. They show up smiling. Successful. Strong. Functioning. Meanwhile, internally, they may be navigating isolation, grief, depression, financial hardship, lack of support, trauma, or simply feeling invisible.
I know that because I’ve been one of those people before.
Long before pageantry, I experienced seasons of bullying, hazing, intentional isolation, depression, and feeling misunderstood. Those experiences shaped the way I move through the world now. They made me deeply aware of how many people silently feel disconnected from support, resources, opportunities, and community.
That’s where Count Me In was born.
Not just as a slogan. Not just as a platform. But as a movement rooted in one belief:
People deserve to feel seen, supported, included, and connected.
What AAA Means
My platform centers around three words:
Awareness. Access. Action.
Because creating change requires all three.
Awareness
Awareness means being willing to see people fully — especially in situations that may not directly affect us.
It means paying attention to silent struggles, overlooked communities, mental health, poverty, isolation, and the barriers people face every day.
Access
Access is about helping connect people to resources, opportunities, mentorship, information, and support systems. Because resources only matter if people can actually reach them.
Action
Action is where real impact happens. It’s volunteering, mentoring, donating, collaborating, sponsoring initiatives, offering services, and showing up consistently for communities that need support.
Why Louisiana Needs This Conversation
Louisiana is full of culture, resilience, talent, and incredible people — but we also face real challenges that affect communities every single day.
Nearly 1 in 5 Louisiana residents live below the federal poverty line, one of the highest poverty rates in the country. (USAFacts)
According to the Louisiana Department of Health, nearly 22% of adults in Louisiana experience mental illness each year, while many still struggle to access proper care and resources. (Louisiana Department of Health)
Reports also show that approximately 50% of Louisiana households fall below the ALICE Threshold, meaning many families are working but still struggling to afford basic necessities like housing, food, healthcare, transportation, and childcare. (United For Alice)
These numbers are more than statistics.
They represent real people. Real families. Real silent struggles.
And too often, people don’t know where to turn, who to ask, or how to access support.
That’s why this platform matters to me.
Count Me In Is About Community
One thing I want people to understand is that helping others is not always about writing large checks or creating huge organizations.
Sometimes impact starts with simply deciding:
“Count me in.”
Count me in to volunteer. Count me in to mentor. Count me in to support local organizations. Count me in to donate what I can. Count me in to speak up for people. Count me in to create opportunities. Count me in to care.
Because when communities come together intentionally, lives change.
Creative Ways I Plan to Bring This Platform to Life
I want this platform to feel interactive, meaningful, creative, and community-centered.
One initiative I plan to implement is a:
Storytelling Scavenger Hunt x Run Club 🤍
The idea combines movement, storytelling, service, and community engagement. Participants would move through different locations while hearing real stories connected to vulnerable communities and local impact initiatives.
At a certain checkpoint(s), participants may be challenged to:
Donate any amount
Commit to volunteering
Support a local organization
Write encouragement cards
Share resources
Sign up for future service opportunities
Only then would they receive the next clue.
Because my goal isn’t just to encourage large donations.
My goal is to encourage people to understand that hands-on help matters too. Presence matters. Compassion matters. Community involvement matters.
Sometimes the smallest acts of kindness create the biggest ripple effects.
The Reward of Helping Others
One thing I’ve learned is that helping people changes you too.
Service has a way of creating purpose, perspective, gratitude, healing, connection, and fulfillment in unexpected ways. Sometimes the very thing you offer someone else becomes the thing that changes your own life in return.
That’s why Count Me In is not rooted in pity.
It’s rooted in partnership. Humanity. Connection. And collective impact.
Why This Matters Beyond Pageantry
Pageantry gave me a platform but Count Me In gave me purpose.
I may not fit the traditional mold people expect from a pageant contestant, and honestly, that’s part of why this matters so much to me. Representation matters. Vulnerable communities deserve visibility. Real stories deserve space.
I want people to see that advocacy can be authentic. Leadership can look different. And impact can start with ordinary people deciding to care about each other intentionally.
Because at the end of the day, the goal is simple:
To make more people feel like someone sees them and says,
“Count me in.”
For Louisiana poverty statistics, visit: USA Facts Louisiana Poverty Data
For Louisiana mental health statistics and resources, visit: Louisiana Department of Health Behavioral Health Resources
For ALICE household and financial hardship data, visit: United for ALICE Louisiana Report
Support My Journey & Platform 🤍
Thank you for supporting my journey as Miss Shreveport USA and helping me expand the impact of Count Me In through Awareness, Access, & Action. Every donation, sponsorship, partnership, service, and act of support helps further advocacy efforts for vulnerable communities across Louisiana.
Ways to Support
Donate
Sponsor
Partner
Offer a Service
Invite Me to an Event
Volunteer or Collaborate
Support Count Me In
Click below to support the journey and movement. ✨
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