Abby Plenge- Miss Missouri Delegate

11/01/2024

10/11/2024

As I reflect on my year as Miss Columbia 2024, I can’t help but think about the amazing sponsors I had in my corner! I was blessed to have three “American Heart Association Heros” who donated $300 to my American Heart Association spotfund for Miss Missouri. Thank you so much to these donors for your generous support💛🖤

10/07/2024

Just checked off my biggest bucket list item🥹✅

On my Miss Missouri paperwork, one of the questions was “What are three things on your bucket list?” One of mine was to participate in an overseas eyeglass mission. I am so grateful for the Missouri Lions Eyeglass Recycling Foundation for gifting me this wonderful opportunity to achieve that goal by helping over a thousand people in Rio Verde, Mexico this past weekend.

The Lions and I were warmly welcomed by a local Lions club who shared the same love for service and AMAZING food. They took such good care of us and were the most wonderful people. I know I made many new friends this past weekend!

Over two days, the Lions screened over 1,100 people for vision impairments including cataracts, retinal detachments, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and many more. Then we fitted as many people as possible with new glasses. It was an amazing to watch people’s face as they were able to read again, drive again, and even see their own hand again. The gift of sight is precious and the tears that we shared with some of our patients showed that.

Even though it was my last weekend as Miss Columbia, I didn’t forget how much love the title had brought me, and how much more love it had left to give. Each child that attended the clinic got a and Miss Columbia collab coloring book and a pack of crayons. It filled my heart to watch their faces light up and I feel like it was the best ending to one of the best titles💛🖤

Thank you so much to everyone who worked tirelessly to put this clinic on, and I feel so blessed to have been a small part of it. The Lions Club is truly a life-changing organization and this mission was just one of many testaments to that💙💛🦁

09/08/2024

In July, I had the opportunity to travel to southern Missouri as part of and ‘s Screen Across the State Incentive! The Cassville Library in Barry County welcomed me with open arms and it was truly such a special storytime! As a northern Missourian, I never have chances to see the southern parts of our beautiful state. I am so thankful Kidsight gave me the opportunity to provide vision screenings to those who attended💛💙

Part of the Screen Across the State Incentive is to create awareness for Kidsight. Before I reached out to the Barry County Library, they had no clue an organization like Kidsight existed. Now, they want us to come to all of their libraries! I am so happy that I get to travel all over Missouri as an ambassador for the amazing work Kidsight does.

09/06/2024

A young woman competing in the Miss America Opportunity can help a community in so many different ways! I was happy to donate my time this summer to make a makeup tutorial for the lovely and super talented Clark County Marching Indians Color Guard. Stage and parade makeup actually have more in common than you think!

These girls have been killing it so far this season and I can’t wait to hear about all their amazing performances!

09/03/2024

✨ Make a Difference with Just $6! ✨

Did you know that a simple $6 donation can provide a free KidSight vision screening for a child in your community? Your support can change a life by catching vision problems early, ensuring kids can see clearly and succeed in school.

Whether you want to support one child, an entire classroom, or a whole preschool, your contribution has the power to make a big impact. Together, we can ensure every child has the chance to see a bright future. 🌟

Donate today and help us bring clear vision to kids in your community! 👓❤️ www.kid-sight.org/give

09/03/2024

Working hard or hardly working?? When I’m with my Lions Club, any volunteering we do is fun as long as we are together!

Last Wednesday, the Columbia 20/20 Lions Club visited the eyeglass recycling center in Jefferson City to clean and test eyeglasses. I was so happy to take along one of my sorority sisters and show off how awesome Lions Club is!🦁💙💛

Did you know that the Missouri Eyeglass Recycling Foundation cleaned and tested over 69,000 pairs of glasses last year? These glasses are used on mission trips in Missouri, the United States, and even overseas! They are distributed to those in need, and I am so blessed to have seen this impact firsthand at the multiple missions that I have participated in🫶

09/02/2024

Another highlight of the summer: helping out the Lions Eyeglass Recycling Foundation with Project Homeless Connect at the First Baptist Church in Columbia, Missouri. At this event, my fellow Lions and I screened those in need for vision impairments, glaucoma, and a variety of other eye diseases. I was thankful to be a part of the process by helping for people for glasses and seating the screening camera (thanks for the loaner, !)

The Lions Eyeglasses Foundation has worked tirelessly to provide Missourians with eyeglasses donated by other Missourians. It is likely that one of the pairs people can choose from was donated from the boxes I set up in my hometown of Kahoka, Missouri. Since my tenure as a titleholder started, Kahoka has donated over 500 pairs of glasses. What an achievement!❤️

Thank you to everyone who made Project Homeless Connect possible. It was an outstanding community effort to help people in need in a variety of ways from vision health, to packs of hygiene products, to haircuts, and the many more organizations who participated. I can’t wait for the next one!🫶💙💛

08/23/2024

Last year, KidSight provided vision screenings to 44,763 Missouri children! Early detection is key to a bright future, and we're proud to make a difference in so many young lives.

08/19/2024

What a fantastic ending to two amazing weeks! Even though I didn’t get to participate in formal recruitment this year, I still did my part behind the scenes preparing for bid day. Creating an amazing new member experience is something I hold near and dear to my heart, and I can’t wait to continue that feeling in my roll as a new member educator this fall!

P.S.- almost everything pictured here was something I worked on a some point during the creation process! Let’s just say my painting skills are thoroughly “brushed up”😉

08/15/2024

Welcome to the Society of Fellows!

I was ecstatic to spend the past three days at the Tiger Hotel with some of my closest friends learning about all things Kinder Institute and Constitutional Democracy! We attended seven sessions about topics pertaining to democracy, presented by some of the best professors Mizzou has to offer. From economic policy in Tudor England to the attention suck economy of modern technology, democracy holds a place in every part of our lives! I cannot wait to start researching for my 30 page research paper, and continue into the journal class this upcoming school year!

Thank you so much for providing the best kickoff to the school year ever!

Comment below what I should write my paper about🤪⬇️