A local veteran is hoping to raise awareness about an issue close to her heart by participating in a national competition.

Hartland resident and Army veteran, Kelly Meade, has reached the semifinals of the Ms. Veteran America competition. In June, she will be competing in Arlington, Virginia with the hopes of making the finals held in Washington D.C. in October. Meade, who served as a truck driver in the Army in the late 1980’s, says the event falls right in line with her continued advocacy for veterans and the issues that impact them. Meade has served as a veteran treatment court mentor for four years, which is how she became acquainted with the competition.

Meade says the statistics are staggering with women veterans 2 to 3 times more likely to be homeless than any other group in the U.S. adult population, while 70% are also single mothers. She says the pageant will incorporate a push-up competition, question and answer session and a talent portion in which she’ll be belly dancing. Advancing to the finals will also depend on fundraising for the cause and how much attention she can get to her Facebook and Twitter pages to help advance awareness of the homeless veteran issue.

Her Facebook page is KellyM4MVA2018. You can also follow her on Twitter; @KellyM4MVA2018

Tax deductible donations can be made through the link below. All Proceeds from this event support the national nonprofit Final Salute Inc. (JK)