YOUR STORY MATTERS HERE: Emery Carner

By Jenny Monahan

Emery Carner is a nine-year-old on a mission. This rising fourth grader at Connoquenessing Valley Elementary (CVE) and lifelong Dutilh Church member has spent an unusually large amount of time serving her community.

Emery is the daughter of Jamie and Brayton Carner and the big sister of Reagan, age four. Emery’s volunteerism was sparked and has grown—in part—because of her involvement in pageants.

“I first started watching pageants when I was around four. I saw Miss America and Miss Universe, and I asked my mom to let me do a pageant. At first, she said, ‘No way!’” Emery explained. “But I begged for two whole years, and finally my mom said OK, and she let me do Horse Trading Days in Zelienople.”

Emery not only participated in the Horse Trading Days pageant—she won it. Since that auspicious beginning, Emery has competed consistently in two or three pageants each year. She has won all but one of those pageants, and currently holds the title of Royal International Miss Role Model Sweetheart.

Through her pageant participation, Emery has made friends from all over the world. She has 14 Royal International Miss “sisters” spread around the globe, including a best friend who lives in Australia. As part of the experience Emery traveled to Nashville, TN, and to Cozumel, Mexico.

“Meeting new friends is my favorite part of pageants,” Emery said. The other significant component of Emery’s participation in pageants involves charity work. Most of the pageants she has done require at least 80 hours of service each year, and Emery has used her platform as a multi-pageant winner to help others.

One project near to Emery’s heart is No Crayon Left Behind. She has been involved with the program for the past two years. No Crayon Left Behind (NCLB) is a local organization that recycles used crayons and puts them in the hands of children around the world who do not otherwise have art supplies.

Emery helps by holding crayon drives to collect used or broken crayons, then delivering them to NCLB’s headquarters. There, Emery and her family take off the old wrappers, sort colors, and boil down the old crayons to make new ones.

“I like to draw, and everyone should have access to pencils or crayons or markers so they can create things from their imagination,” Emery explained.

In addition to NCLB, Emery volunteers monthly with Meals on Wheels. For the last two years, she has decorated lunch bags with artwork and positive messages, helped to bag lunches, and delivered meals to people in need in the community.

“Helping others really makes your day go better,” Emery said. “And I make a lot of new friends.”

Another place Emery has made friends is Ronald McDonald House in Pittsburgh. With her family or with some of her fellow pageant friends, Emery often prepares meals for families staying at Ronald McDonald House. One special moment that stands out, Emery said, was being able to throw a birthday party for a girl she met there.

“We first met Anna Rose when she was 14. She was at Ronald McDonald house in Pittsburgh from out of town because she had a heart transplant and then she had cancer,” Emery explained. “That was really sad. But the good part is that now she’s my friend, and we got to host a birthday party for her with cake and presents.”

When she is not serving in the community, Emery enjoys gymnastics, dance, and cheer. She likes to play outside with her friends and to swim, and also enjoys craft projects and building things. Making PixO creations and helping her dad with building projects like bookshelves are some of her favorite things. Emery also has done some commercials and modeling, although her mom was the first member of the family to be in a feature-length movie. Jamie had a cameo as one of the funeral-goers in the 2019 film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

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The Carner family first became involved at Dutilh Church well before Emery entered the picture.

“Twenty years ago my parents moved to Cranberry. They were looking for a church home and they visited a lot of churches,” Emery said. “My mom said when they got to Dutilh, they met kind people and everyone was friendly and warm, and it felt like home.” The Carners have been at Dutilh ever since.

Emery’s favorite thing about Dutilh Church is “meeting new friends.” She explained, “The people at Dutilh help to share the story of Jesus. There are so many cool things – I love VBS, singing in the choir, and I also want to play the ukulele.”

Emery’s take on Dutilh’s mission is that kids can love others by being respectful to their parents, kind to their friends, and generous to people who are in need. She clearly has a handle on loving to serve and says, “It’s joyful to help others who are hurt or hungry. Sometimes we help make notes for people in the military, or firefighters or police officers, to share love—just like Jesus.” Emery has connected her Dutilh family with her service efforts by periodically placing crayon collection bins at the church.

Emery’s advice for others who might want to follow her example of service is, “Never give up trying to change the world. Be good to people and your life will be a lot more joyful.”

If you or someone you know in the Dutilh family has an interesting story or profession, send us your ideas! We would love to help tell the story. Email: communications@dutilhumc.org.