Dinah Smith is a firm believer in the idea that retirement doesn’t mean the end of one’s work. Smith wears many hats. She’s also a busy grandmother and a leader who graciously serves in multiple positions. Just last week, Smith directed the South Louisville Baptist Church’s annual VBS – something she’s worked on for months in preparation. Smith always knew that she wanted to work with children. “God gave me a heart for children and called me to teach early in my life. Over the three decades I taught, I worked with mostly lower elementary. I’m now self-employed as an independent contractor. That gives me the ability to do the things in the community that I really want to do.” Smith retired from teaching after a total of 31 years in the classroom. However, Smith has always felt that she must be teaching, somehow and somewhere. These days, most of Smith’s teaching takes place at her church, South Louisville Baptist. At SLBC, Dinah is the director of Vacation Bible School and Bible Drill. She also heads a ladies’ Bible study. “I had so much I wanted to do (in retirement) that I had to officially retire in order to be able to do them.” Smith hasn’t slowed down one bit from her rigorous teaching schedule; she is consistently busy with some project – whether it be her work with St. Jude, working at her church, or being a very “hands-on” grandmother. Dinah is married to JT, and they have one granddaughter and one grandson. The granddaughter enjoys spending time with her grandmother, and the pair recently made and sold lemonade together – the proceeds of which went to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Smith noted that she also helps with the care of her 21-month-old grandson regularly. Smith is currently the “drop-off” leader for Operation Christmas Child in Winston County, a mission project in which many Winston County churches participate. Smith and her daughter began packing boxes nearly thirty years ago, and they have grown in their involvement as the project itself has grown. Most recently, Smith’s granddaughter has joined in the family tradition of helping pack Operation Christmas Child boxes. Last year, Smith brought in guest speaker Ed Ndecky to South Louisville to speak at a kickoff event. Ndecky himself received one of the boxes as a child, and he credited it with helping him to become a Christian. Smith also leads a Gospel Club at Winston Academy. She reflected that it’s still very important to her that she is involved with young people. One of Smith’s most rewarding roles is her work with St. Jude. Over the years, Smith’s family knew many friends who had sought treatment for their children at the non-profit hospital. She knew for many years that she wanted to do something to help people, and St. Jude’s philosophy – that no child would ever have to pay for treatment at St. Jude – fit Smith’s own perspective. “I always remembered what Danny Thomas (the founder) said about donations – ‘I’d rather one million people give a dollar than one person give one million’ – which means a lot of people need to be active,” said Smith about her work with St. Jude. Smtih began running in the St. Jude run (fundraiser) in 2017; she began doing a local fundraiser the next year. “Some people can’t get to the run, but they can participate here (in Winston County),” says Smith. She noted that, on average, she typically sees a total of funds raised between $1,800 and $2,000 each year. Many locals will recognize Smith for her consistent participation in local runs. She runs in the Red Hills 5k every year, and she participated in the Torch Run 5k held by the Louisville Police Department earlier this year. In addition to all these activities – which alone require a great deal of time and effort – Smith is an active member of the Winston Garden Club. Smith said that its her passion to see children come to faith in Jesus as well as seeing the packed shoeboxes come from all over the area “knowing they carry a little bit of happiness and a whole lot of Jesus to children!” Smith added that her husband often helps her during these dropoffs and then shipping them to the next destination. “It is a privilege to serve and (I do it) all for the Kingdom! It’s my way of saying ‘thank you’ to Him!”
