Eight-year-old Belmont girl amplifies message of community service

Eight-year-old Belmont native Juliette Blowe competed in the USA Ambassador Pageant in Orlando, Florida, in July.

According to Juliette’s mother, Abby Blowe, the USA Ambassador pageant promotes leadership, confidence, integrity and character.

Abby Blowe says her daughter chooses to show her leadership through service to the community.

Juliette Blowe’s career in pageantry started in 2021 when she competed for the first time.

Since that first competition, Blowe has continued her path in pageantry, and was recently crowned USA Ambassador Jr. Preteen in a national pageant.

Her community service, however, actually predates her participation in pageantry.

In 2020, Blowe saw a man standing in the cold without a jacket, according to her mother.

“Juliette hates being cold and wanted to find a way to help keep others warm during the cold months,” her mother said.

The realization that some people do not have coats led Juliette to create Juju’s Jackets, a service project in which she collects new coats or the funds to purchase them, and donates them to those in need.

In the fall of 2020, Juliette Blowe made her first large coat donation to the Salvation Army Homeless Shelter, her mother said.

Later that year, Blowe connected with Gaston County Schools and donated more coats to schools that expressed a need.

In addition to her work with Juju’s Jackets, Blowe has established a goal to help 20 children in Gaston County get a bed to sleep in by working with Sleep in Heavenly Peace’s Belmont chapter.

Blowe intends to meet this goal by collecting donations of twin sized, “bed in a bag” sets, pillows, and funds for lumber.

Blowe also plans to host a build day in February at which she intends to build 10 beds for local children with the help of family, friends and volunteers.

“Juliette has learned through the pageant world that being a leader to kids can happen by being a servant to those in need,” her mother said. “Juliette wants to teach others that kindness and giving to others comes back to you tenfold.”

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Eight-year-old Belmont girl amplifies message of community service