Miss Nevada Volunteer

Lots of amazing things coming up in April!

Something I have wanted to do for a long time is establish a public speaking presence. I am in a season where I am really working on branding myself, spreading my story, and expanding my sphere of influence. I want people within the Recovery Community and beyond to know that they can call me when they need a speaker, presenter, or someone they can use for PR or other related projects. This is now becoming a reality for me, and I am beyond excited!

I have been invited to sit on a speaker panel with There is No Hero In He**in (TINHIH Las Vegas) and Alternative Peer Group Las Vegas! The session is called “Encourage Teens to Challenge Themselves”, and I will be speaking to and sharing my story with a group of high school students ages 13-18. I will talk about overcoming obstacles, learning from struggles, and benefiting from mistakes. I look forward to encouraging them to look toward their futures and open their eyes to all of the possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead of them.

I am so honored to have been asked to be a guest on Landmark Recovery Radio, a national podcast out of Tennessee. We will be chatting about my personal experiences with substance abuse and how losing my mother to an overdose has driven and motivated me to become an active member of the Recovery Community.

I will also be speaking at Mission High School here in Las Vegas, a secondary school designed for students in recovery from substance abuse, use and/or dependency. I look forward to sharing my story with the students there and seeing how I can create continued involvement with Mission moving forward.

I am so thankful for all of these invitations and opportunities! It is so exciting to be setting out on this new endeavor and taking my advocacy to new levels.

If you or your organization need a speaker or presenter, or you know someone who does, please consider contacting me or referring me! I have a compelling story and real lived experiences that I am always happy to be able to use to motivate and encourage others.

📸: Kevyn Major Howard Photography

My platform is The Treasuring Tracey Project: Turning Pain Into Purpose Through Addiction and Overdose Awareness.

The Treasuring Tracey Project was birthed out of grief and indescribable pain. In 2016, I endured the unthinkable at the age of 17 when I found my mother dead of an accidental drug overdose. This was after spending my childhood acting as one of her primary caretakers for her in her addiction.

Before they closed the casket on my mom for the last time, I told her, “We aren’t done here.” I made her a promise that I would not allow her death to be in vain, and that one day I would use her story, our story, to make a difference. That is what my platform is all about.

Over the last 6 years, I have turned this small vision of wanting to make a difference into a reality I never could have imagined. Throughout my work with The Treasuring Tracey Project, I have been blessed to form many community partnerships and have work with organizations like Foundation for Recovery, Horses4Heroes, The Walter Hoving Home, Landmark Recovery, There Is No Hero In He**in, and Teen Challenge.

What started out as a volunteer relationship with Vegas Stronger and CrossRoads of Nevada actually turned into an opportunity for paid employment as their Community Outreach Liaison, which I am so thankful for!

Currently, I sit its on the Board of Directors for H.O.P.E Compassionate Healthcare and State Committee for the Nevada Recovery Advocacy Project, am a National Ambassador for Shatterproof, and am a member of the National Mobilize Recovery Conference. I am also a licensed volunteer for Clark County Department of Family Services — Child Haven.

In 2021, I worked alongside the Nevada Senate and Attorney General’s Office as a Shatterproof Ambassador and assisted in passing two pieces of statewide legislation: Assembly Bill 374 and Senate Bill 390, both related to substance abuse.

I aim to make my mom proud in all that I do and act a legacy for her that will leave a legacy for generations to come, so that maybe, just maybe, someone else’s parent or loved one won’t have to die.

I hope one day launch The Treasuring Tracey Project into a full 501C3 non-profit organization!

Miss Volunteer America Photo Challenge, Day 2:

Crowning photo!!! 👑
💕

Miss Nevada Volunteer is officially boots on the ground out in the community— literally!

I was so happy to have gotten to spend my very first appearance with one of my favorite community partners, Horses4Heroes Family Equestrian Center!! We welcomed 40 children and their military families from Nellis Air Force Base to the ranch to enjoy our horses and animals!

It is always so special for me to get to share my love of horses 🐴 with others, especially children! Thank you, Sydney Knott, for always welcoming me and bragging on me so kindly!!! 👑❤️✨

Kicking off the Miss Volunteer America Photo Challenge! 👑

*Day 1: Introduce Yourself*

My name is Kelsey Elizabeth Matthews and I am 23 years old, proudly representing my home state of Nevada!

My platform is The Treasuring Tracey Project: Turning Pain Into Purpose Through Addiction, Overdose, and Mental Health Awareness. I founded my platform in 2016 in memory of my mother after she died of an accidental overdose that same year.

I am a first generation college graduate 🎓, having obtained my Associate of Arts from the College of Southern Nevada Class of 2021.

I am a current junior at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (Go Rebels!!), majoring in social work with a concentration in service learning in the Honors College. I was named a 2022 Finalist for Harry S. Truman National Scholarship, just one of 189 out of 705 national applicants. I am also a nominee for the Hertog Foundation’s 2022 Political Studies Fellowship. After graduating with my Bachelor of Social Work, I plan to attend law school to obtain my Juris Doctorate and a dual masters degree in either social work or public policy. I plan to focus my career on public interest and social justice, and hope to one day run for public office.

I have also studied Christian Ministry with the LEAD School of Ministry and Marketplace at the International Church of Las Vegas where I am a member of the worship team and am a youth leader with ICLV Español.

I currently work as the Community Outreach Liaison for Vegas Stronger and CrossRoads of Southern Nevada, two substance abuse based organizations here in Las Vegas. I focus on marketing, PR, networking, and community outreach, acting as a bridge between our organizations and the rest of the Las Vegas Recovery Community. I am also a Certified Mental Health Professional, having worked previously for H.O.P.E Counseling Services as a Rehabilitative Mental Health Provider.

Let the “Countdown To The Crown” begin!! 👑💕✨

Kicking off the Miss Volunteer America Photo Challenge! 👑

*Day 1: Introduce Yourself*

My name is Kelsey Elizabeth Matthews and I am 23 years old, proudly representing my home state of Nevada!

My platform is The Treasuring Tracey Project: Turning Pain Into Purpose Through Addiction, Overdose, and Mental Health Awareness. I founded my platform in 2016 in memory of my mother after she died of an accidental overdose that same year.

I am a first generation college graduate 🎓, having obtained my Associate of Arts from the College of Southern Nevada Class of 2021.

I am a current junior at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (Go Rebels!!), majoring in social work with a concentration in service learning in the Honors College. I was named a 2022 Finalist for Harry S. Truman National Scholarship, just one of 189 out of 705 national applicants. I am also a nominee for the Hertog Foundation’s 2022 Political Studies Fellowship. After graduating with my Bachelor of Social Work, I plan to attend law school to obtain my Juris Doctorate and a dual masters degree in either social work or public policy. I plan to focus my career on public interest and social justice, and hope to one day run for public office.

I have also studied Christian Ministry with the LEAD School of Ministry and Marketplace at the International Church of Las Vegas where I am a member of the worship team and am a youth leader with ICLV Español.

I currently work as the Community Outreach Liaison for Vegas Stronger and CrossRoads of Southern Nevada, two substance abuse based organizations here in Las Vegas. I focus on marketing, PR, networking, and community outreach, acting as a bridge between our organizations and the rest of the Las Vegas Recovery Community. I am also a Certified Mental Health Professional, having worked previously for H.O.P.E Counseling Services as a Rehabilitative Mental Health Provider.

Let the “Countdown To The Crown” begin!!

A dream is a wish your heart makes when you’re fast asleep 👑❤️✨

Another weekend means trying something new! This past weekend while in Vegas I stopped into for a little pick me up! I have never been a big coffee drinker but the past few months I have really loved trying different roasts of coffee and coffee shops! I have vowed anytime I go on a trip I have to try a new coffee spot and this place did not disappoint! The staff was great and the drinks were AMAZING! If you ever find yourself in Vegas make sure you go try them out!

Wow! What a phenomenal weekend it was, judging for the California JHC America system was the time of my life and didn’t want it to end! First I want to give a big shoutout to directors Kara and Shalyn, they put together an absolutely wonderful and successful show! These girls are very lucky to have the two of you behind them supporting and loving them in their individual journeys! Thank you for letting me be apart of it and trusting me with such a big job, it was truly an honor I can’t say that enough! To the young girls and women that competed this weekend, YOU WERE ALL SO AMAZING! Don’t let this weekend define you, remember this is just another step in your journey! Every single one of you truly inspired me in one way or another and I can’t wait to watch each of you find your purpose and follow your journeys! I will be supporting and rooting for you every step of the way! Congratulations and keep doing your thing girls! ❤️

Had an incredible time yesterday judging interviews for competition! Today is finals and we will find out who will walk away with the opportunity to represent this fabulous organization! Thank you Kara and Shalyn for allowing me to be apart of this weekend it’s has been an honor! 🤍

Happy Thursday! As we rang in the New Year, I have made it a mission of mine to do something every weekend that includes a passion of mine or something I have never tried!





One passion of mine that I can’t wait to dive deeper into is the art of photography. I first picked up a camera my freshman year of high school in my photography class. Soon after I realized that it was something I loved and not long after found myself wanting to take pictures everywhere I went! I am so lucky to live in an area that has such beautiful views and places to take pictures! Here’s to 2022 and capturing new moments! 🤍