Joyce Smith remembers well the Christmases that could have been dark and dreary if there had been no Salvation Army in her family’s life.

Smith, now 43 and the mother of three children, lived on North Wall Street. Her mother, Florence Ragland, was a housekeeper for two Natchez families and worked long hours to support the family.

The house is still there – 619 North Wall. “I’ll never forget the address,” Smith said.

Nor will she forget the happiness on her mother’s face as she came into the house with gifts provided by their friends and neighbors at The Salvation Army.

Most important, she will not forget the generosity that brought cheer and laughter into the small home on Wall Street.

Now Smith embodies that same generosity as she gives not only to Salvation Army Christmas projects but to many children throughout the year.

As purchasing agent for the Adams Jefferson Franklin Claiborne Community Action Agency, Smith once again finds herself only a couple of blocks from The Salvation Army chapel and offices. And she takes advantage of it, especially at Christmas time.

“We’ve been taking part in the angel tree program at The Salvation Army for years now,” Smith said. “We try to get every single item on the list for all the children in the families we sponsor.”

Smith did not seek publicity for what she does, but she was willing to talk when contacted this week for an interview. She talked about the deep satisfaction of being able to give back in the way she received during her childhood.

With her husband operating his own construction business and teaching building trades for Claiborne County schools and her own professional position, Smith has been able to offer a helping hand to many children the year around.

The Smith family lives in Lorman. “I teach Sunday school,” she said. That’s at Mount Zion Church of God in Christ in Fayette.

“I enjoy taking time to talk to children, take them on trips and doing something with them in the summer before school starts and during the holidays.”

She is not shy about taking on teenagers; she has had experience with teens. Her oldest child is grown and lives in Yazoo City. The second is at Alcorn State University and is a baseball player. And the youngest, a 10th-grader at Natchez High School, plays in the band.

“Most kids need someone they can talk to,” she said. “I’m comfortable doing that. Sometimes they may do something wrong and they need someone to explain to them why it’s wrong rather than just to criticize them for doing it.”

Smith feels God’s blessings. “Each year the Lord has blessed me, and I enjoy sharing what I have,” she said.

Natchez and the surrounding area is filled with children whose parents aren’t able to give gifts, Smith said. “And I’m careful always to get the types of gifts for the children that I would give my own children – nothing less.”

Smith was generous to share her story. She takes seriously her dedication to helping children but views it as nothing less than she should be doing.

Setting an example for her own children as well as for those others receiving her love and care, she keeps in motion one of the wheels that ensure a community’s future. The spirit of Christmas is alive in her heart the year around.

Joan Gandy is special projects director of The Democrat. She can be reached at (601) 445-3549 or by e-mail at joan.gandy@natchezdemocrat.com.