The heart of Judy Smith is one we can all admire.
Recently, Mrs. Smith received News Channel 4’s Pay It Forward award for her service in her community and beyond. According to Channel 4 (KFOR), the award is meant to go to an “unsung hero who needs to be recognized.”
Mrs. Smith was nominated for many reasons. She helps with the Choctaw Church of Christ’s food pantry. She makes clothes that have been sent to several countries around the world. She’s also made window treatments for Habitat for Humanity.
The list goes on.
When Mrs. Smith first received the award, she was so stunned that she didn’t know what to say. But Linked was able to get in touch with her a few weeks later to ask her a few questions. Here’s what she had to say.
How did you get started making clothes for so many people in so many different places?
I’m like a lot of women who buy fabric even though we don’t know exactly what we are going to do with it at the time. Don’t know where I got the idea...I went to Habitat for Humanity and asked if that would be something helpful—to make valances for the new homes. The dresses started about seven or eight years ago when Ken Bever with Hope for Haiti’s Children, through Britton Road Church of Christ asked us to make dresses for the church orphanage. Since then we’ve sent to Honduras twice and to Costa Rica.
How long does it take to make a dress or a window treatment?
The pillowcase dresses and valances are probably 30 minute projects, simply because they are very easy but without sacrificing the quality of the finished project. I call it working smarter not harder projects.
If someone was reading your story, what would you want them to know about you? Your work? The people you serve?
When KFOR interviewed me, the first thing Kevin asked me was ‘why do you do the things you do?’ I think I mumbled something about ‘I don’t know.’ When I can think about it now, I know the answer I should have said was ‘Jesus said ‘whatever you do to the least of these you do unto me,’’ and I certainly want to do that.
When I had my first real job...they sent me to a Principles of Banking class and Zig Zigler played a big part of that class. Once he said, ‘you can get anything you want out of life if you help enough other people get what they want.’ That resonated with me so much that that has been my constant thinking process. Later, as I matured as a Christian, I realized this is really just rephrasing of ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’
Anything else you’d like to say?
This recognition is of so many others involved. I told them I think the only reason I was nominated instead of anyone of the others involved is because I’m an instigator. I can dream it up and have so many others excited to make it happen.
Mrs. Smith also wanted to mention Hope Retreat Ranch, a horse therapy service in Choctaw for children with special needs. Mrs. Smith has volunteered at the ranch in the past and encourages anyone who’s interested to do the same. We wish Judy Smith the best of luck in all her future service. Mrs. Smith will be celebrating 50 years of marriage this October. She has three children and seven grandchildren.