At the end of summer, Kimberly Aiken will surrender her crown as Miss America. But she has made a mark on the country. She is, arguably, the most community-active Miss America in history.
Traveling thousands of miles a month across (as of this writing) 35 states, Aiken has raised the banner high in her crusade to end homelessness.
If people didn’t take her seriously last September, when she spoke with fervor about the cause that is closest to her heart, they’re no longer turning deaf ears.
Her concern for the homeless “began when I was in high school,” Aiken says. “It was a class project, and I learned a lot. I began working as a volunteer in shelters. Before I graduated, I had started the Homeless Education and Resource Organization.
“You know, the trouble is that (the homeless) keep coming back. There is no job training or adequate child care. We need a combination of business people and government to go into the community and provide them with the necessary help.
“Back home (Columbia, S.C.), I remember when IBM donated a computer lab to one of the homeless shelters and how that helped shape people’s lives. That’s what is needed.”
In Atlantic City, Aiken helped raise more than $50,000 for the Atlantic City Rescue Mission in addition to going into schools and community centers to raise the social consciousness in town. And although her reign is coming to a close, she intends to keep raising the issue, even after she returns to college to work to become a Certified Public Accountant.