New Gloucester has its first Mrs. USA. Misty L. Coolidge was bestowed with the title earlier this year and has spent the year fighting hunger and food insecurity traveling the United States, according to a news release from her.

She has been climbing the ladder of the Worldwide USA pageant system over the past year from being crowned Mrs. Maine in January 2021, then winning her first national title when she was crowned the USA United Service Ambassador in July 2021 in Omaha, Nebraska. At that pageant she placed the First Runner Up out of six divisions and was awarded that title.

In February, she learned that the previous Mrs. USA title holder was unable to carry through with her obligations, making her the new Mrs. USA. Her first response was that of sadness that her pageant sister and friend had lost her title, but she knew this was a huge opportunity to really be able to make a much greater impact with her mission of crushing hunger.

Even before Coolidge was involved in pageantry, her passion has been fighting hunger for more than 20 years in every community that she’s lived in, from Bangor to Portland and now in Auburn at the Good Shepherd Food Bank. Her mission is a personal one, having grown up with a single mom who worked three jobs to put food on the table and utilizing food stamps and the WIC program.

Before she was crowned in July 2021, she knew she’d need to make a plan to bring her passion nationwide, so she created her “Helping Hands for Hunger” campaign. Her massive goal over two years is to travel to all 50 states and volunteer at Feeding America food banks across the country.

“The need is greater than ever as a result of the pandemic, during, and even more so after. So many families are feeling the results of losing jobs, losing income, and struggling to heat their homes this time of year. The numbers I’m seeing across the country in my travels is astounding and heart breaking. Having little ones at home myself, I cannot imagine not being able to give them the food they need,” said Coolidge.

When she started out on this journey, she shared her vision with the Good Shepherd Food Bank and after a couple meetings, it shared with her its desire to make her its first ambassador.

To follow Coolidge’s journey across the country, visit the Good Shepherd’s website, gsfb.org, by searching her name on its home page.

Coolidge volunteers at the facility in her spare time, hosts annual fundraising events at her wedding venue, Coolidge Family Farm on Lewiston Road in New Gloucester. She started a “Running of the Brides 5K for Hunger” several years ago, at which runners wear vintage wedding dresses.

She also hosted a quilt auction at her venue Coolidge Chapel in Gray, raising more than $3,000 to benefit the Good Shepherd; co-produced her first “Flowers that Feed” Art & Runway show last month; is writing her first children’s book under Paw Prints Publishing, “We All Stir the Pot” (an effort to end hunger); and is collaborating with New Gloucester’s NU Brewery on its first philanthropic beer, “Feed ME,” which will benefit the food bank as well.

On Sunday, July 17, Coolidge plans to complete for an international title Mrs. Worldwide back in Omaha, Nebraska. To learn more, visit worldwideusapageant.com.

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