BEAVER DAM, Ky. — One little Ohio County beauty queen hopes to help others have a warm holiday season this year by starting a clothing drive for those in need.
Chevelle Minton is the 3-year-old daughter of Chevy and Kayla Minton, of Beaver Dam. She has been participating in pageants for about two years, competing at local levels all the way up to national levels. Chevelle recently competed at the America’s Best Pageant in Henderson, Kentucky, and will be representing Ohio County at the ABP nationals in Nashville Sept. 6-8, 2024.
Heading into nationals next year, the Minton family wanted to help those in need with a community service project. The family decided to start a winter clothing drive not not just for children, but for adults in need as well.
“As a mother, I want to instill in my children to give where (you) can,” Kayla Minton said. “The ‘give the shirt off your back’ motto is huge. While only being 3 years old, I want Chevelle to gain from this, doing something small can mean so much. With the holidays coming up, we want to give to those in need.”
The Mintons are asking for new and/or gently used winter clothing, in any size, for women, men and children. All clothing that is collected will be given out to local shelters, churches, clothing closets and schools to be disbursed accordingly.
“(Chevelle) loves clothes, so I knew she would love sorting through to help momma!” Kayla Minton said. “We plan on delivering (the donated clothes) on weekends while I’m not working at Western Elementary. We want to get out in the community. We want to be involved.”
The Mintons especially hope to help make this Christmas a better and warmer time for children who might not necessarily have winter clothing.
“We plan to get in contact with the schools. We want to get the sizes of children in need. You never know what others have at home,” Kayla Minton said. “This could be a Christmas present they truly need! Something as small as a winter jacket could mean a million dollars to someone else.”
At this time, Kayla Minton is picking up the clothing herself after work from those who are donating. She plans on getting a drop-off box set up at Minton’s 3rd Gen Automotive at 1202 S. Main St. in Hartford.
If you have any new and/or gently used winter clothing to donate to a great cause, you can call or text Kayla Minton at 270-363-3002 or message her on Facebook. Feel free to leave a voicemail if there is no answer.
You can also follow Chevelle’s pageant journey on Kayla Minton’s Facebook page.
“It’s amazing watching her grow and make all new friends and memories! Pageantry is more than the makeup and glitz. Pageantry is family. Pageantry builds young girls,” Kayla Minton said. “I often say it’s a confidence booster. Friendships and bonds grow tremendously in such a small community.”