Kaylee Hollifield

Hollifield uses pageants as way to promote helping others

Some people say beauty is only skin deep, but for Kaylee Hollifield beauty ebbs all the way to her heart and beyond.

The Elizabethton High School student recently was crowned Miss Tennessee during the AmeriFest National Pageant in Pigeon Forge and will represent Tennessee at the National Pageant in Indiana later in 2022.

But Kaylee began her community outreach just before her 10th birthday when she and her mother, Monica, made a trip to the Good Samaritan Ministries in Johnson City to donate food. She remembers hearing that the pantry may not have enough food to share at Thanksgiving and seeing an empty freezer at the food pantry.

Hollifield decided that she wanted to make a difference so with her mom’s permission, she gathered several items that she didn’t use anymore and held a garage sale as well as asking for money for her upcoming birthday.

She took the money from the garage sale and her birthday and purchased as many turkeys as she could from the Save A Lot grocery story in Elizabethton. A local television station picked up on the story, and after it aired a local man was inspired to go and purchase the rest of the turkeys needed for Thanksgiving.

It was the beginning of her personal platform — Kaylee’s Helping Hands. And it is the reason pageants mean so much more to Hollifield than just putting on pretty dresses and gowns.

“Winning state and national titles in years past has helped me to broaden my platform and take it to surrounding states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Florida, and here in Tennessee,” Hollifield said. “I have been in homeless shelters for men, women, and children where I have seen a lot. It has taught me how blessed that I am.”

Hollifield said she has been to talk with these people, help serve a hot meal, wish them a Happy Thanksgiving, and play and talk to the children.

“There is no greater feeling than seeing a smile on someone’s face or to see their face light up a little because of what you did for them,” Hollifield said. “It’s more rewarding than winning any pageant or any of my crowns or my sashes.”

She tries to share the message of getting involved with the community to other young people that she encounters by letting them know that there is always a need no matter how big or small. “All of these people have had a lot of hardship and they are sad and depressed,” said Hollifield. “All they need is to be shown love and that someone cares about them.”

Hollifield plans to attend ETSU to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Foreign Language which she hopes translates into a job with the FBI. She plans on being actively involved within her community promoting her own personal platform of Kaylee’s Helping Hands with a long-term goal of opening permanent housing for the homeless and less fortunate.

“To show each and every person that life is short and precious and every second counts as every day is a blessing,” said Hollifield. “It is better to give than to receive — it’s far more rewarding.”

Story by Ivan Sanders & Photos Contributed

Kaylee Hollifield was recognized for her volunteer work by being named a Governor’s Volunteer Stars Awards winner.

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Kaylee Hollifield serves up a hot meal at a local mission. “To show each and every person that life is short and precious and every second counts as every day is a blessing. Hollifield makes an effort to help and visit as many different missions as possible. She makes a stop by the Nashville Rescue Mission on one of her trips.

It is better to give than to receive — it’s far more rewarding.”

—Kaylee Hollifield

Hollifield loading the vehicle for a run to one of the ministries that Kaylee’s Helping Hands supports.

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Kaylee Hollifield with turkeys she purchased with money from a garage sale and her 10th birthday. It was the start of her personal platform — Kaylee’s Helping Hands.

While there is no denying Kaylee Hollifield’s beauty and ability to succeed at the pageant level, there is also no denying that her beauty goes farther than what is on the outside with her heart of serving others.

Kaylee Hollifield makes a donation of items to The Gathering Place Mission. Kaylee Hollifield uses her competition in pageants to promote her own platform — Kaylee’s Helping Hands.