Emily Pennington, a 2019 Warren County High School graduate, made an impact locally during her high school career, winning the 2018 Warren County Fairest of the Fair before going on to win the 2019 Tennessee State Fairest of the Fair. Pennington is continuing to make a difference both in the pageant world and in her community as a senior Mass Media and Strategic Communica-tions student at UT Martin.
Pennington is currently the reigning Miss Northwest Tennessee and will compete for the title of Miss Tennessee Volunteer in July, after graduating from UT Martin in May. She recently spoke to the Martin Kiwanis Club on Feb. 15 about a cause close to her heart, an organization she started in 2017, Embracing the Elderly.
Pennington defines the term “elder orphan” as an individual who is over the age of 65 and is either socially or physically isolated with no family member or surrogate family member to provide support. She explained that the elder orphan population is increasing with the aging of the Baby Boomers generation and, according to the PHI advocacy and research group, in 2028 there will be an estimated 59,000 openings in Tennessee for home health and personal care aides.
"Since 2017, Embracing the Elderly has provided more than 19,000 items to nursing homes across the state of Tennessee and spent more than 1,000 hours inside nursing homes. I encourage everyone to contact local facilities to assess needs, to give emotional support whenever possible, to spread awareness about the needs of the elderly and to consider donating to Embracing the Elderly," Pennington said.
Pennington credits the experiences gained in Warren County for giving her the confidence and opportunity to take her message to a larger audience. "Being Warren County Fairest of the Fair really gave me the tools I needed to take my platform statewide. If it hadn't been for my local supporters, I wouldn't have had nearly the amount of opportunities that I have had. Embracing the Elderly is something I am extremely passionate about and I am blessed to have the opportunity to spread my message across the state," Pennington said.
For more information or to donate to Embrace the Elderly contact Pennington at emilyfaith1203@hotmail.com or (931) 304-3827.
