COLUMNS--FEATURE SPOT
 By  Kellie Singleton Published 
3:13 pm Saturday, August 6, 2011

Best part of the job? The people

In my job, I get to meet all kinds of people, and I always get excited when I meet outstanding people who are definitely an inspiration.

Tom and Ruth Ann Smith from Missouri are two of those people.

They immediately sprang into action after the deadly tornadoes tore through Alabama and found a way they could offer aid that someone else might not be able to offer and in turn, they were a major help to Phil Campbell Elementary School’s teachers.

The school supplies the Smiths donated will be used by teachers all over the school and will help so many kids receive that little extra something when they are learning this coming school year.

When I talked to them about their donation, they were just so humble about it.

They were simply glad to do their part and weren’t interested in making a big fuss about it.

But bringing a whole U-Haul full of school supplies all the way from Missouri to people you don’t even know is worthy of a big fuss, and the school officials who were there to unload the supplies made sure the Smiths knew how much it was appreciated.

Even though I don’t live in Phil Campbell and I don’t have an affiliation with Phil Campbell Elementary, I have been in the town non-stop since the tornadoes came through and have seen the countless number of people who have donated their time, money or supplies to help complete strangers.

When looking at all the bad news in the world today, you can sometimes feel like all the decent people in society have disappeared, but generosity shown by the Smiths and other people like them make you realize there are still good people willing to put others first and make a difference.

Also on Franklin County Times
Woman who shot husband pleads guilty
Main, News, Russellville
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
July 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — A woman who admitted to shooting and killing her husband last month pleaded not guilty during her arraignment on June 24. Sherri Mitche...
$110 idea launched a half century business
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Customers have walked through the doors of Stidham Feed & Seed for more than half a century looking for everything from garden seed and...
Mother, now daughter, leave marks on history
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
July 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — In the event you find yourself on a trip to the Franklin County Archives, one of the first things you’ll see upon arrival is the name C...
Court upholds Gann’s conviction
Main, News, Red Bay, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
July 1, 2026
MONTGOMERY — A former Red Bay day care worker convicted of manslaughter in the death of 4-month-old Autumn Wells will have to face her original senten...
Book Lovers Club kicks off new year
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
July 1, 2026
Summer tends to make it easier to say “yes” to socializing with friends. That’s what members of the Book Lovers Study Club did for their June meeting ...
The Great Charter’s legacy: No one is above the law
Columnists, Opinion
July 1, 2026
By the time Thomas Jefferson dipped his quill in ink in the summer of 1776, he was drawing from a wealth of ideas more than five centuries old. Eight ...
Todds lead LaGrange restoration efforts
Couples, Features, Lifestyles
Chelsea Retherford For the FCT 
July 1, 2026
For Janet and Max Todd, history isn’t something confined to books or preserved behind glass. It’s something meant to be lived in, and when possible, b...
Obituaries
Obituaries
July 1, 2026
Ronald Stephen Pritchard, M.D. June 10, 2026   Ronald (Ron) Stephen Pritchard, M.D., age 70, of Little Rock, Arkansas, slipped the surly bonds of Eart...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *