Barb Smith and HEARTH

By: Robert Rodgers

If Paul Loeb were to write a subsequent book called Soul of a Citizen Revisited, I am sure he could include the story of a neighbor of mine, Barb Smith. Mrs. Smith is a current board member (and former chair) of the nonprofit group HEARTH, which stands for Homelessness Ends with Advocacy, Resources, Training and Housing. HEARTH aims to help homeless women and children in Ross Township, PA by offering a program that provides temporary housing and services for up to two years. While in the housing program, the women receive assistance in education, job-training, child care, and other self-sufficient needs. Women have the opportunity to meet with counselors, set goals, and work to achieve them while they are living in temporary apartments provided by HEARTH. Since 1995, 143 mothers and 264 children have gone through the program with astonishing results. According to HEARTH, 84% have gone on to live in permanent houses, 75% have gone on to full-time jobs, 100% have increased their education, and 95% have increased their income. Much of HEARTH’s success can be attributed to the work that Barb Smith has done.

Mrs. Smith admits that she has had “a pretty easy life” as she lives in a comfortable home in Marshall, PA with her husband and three children. While Mrs. Smith began volunteering her time to help the homeless in the early 1990s, she joined HEARTH in 1995 because she wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. In 1998, Mrs. Smith became president of HEARTH, a position she held until 2005. As I mentioned, Mrs. Smith’s work and dedication has been an instrumental part to the success of HEARTH’s program. She attended months of training while she learned how to develop a successful model that would improve HEARTH’s program. She also has worked to develop a longer term plan for the program that involves expanding the services offered. The success and improvement of the program under Mrs. Smith’s guidance has made it easier for HEARTH to raise money to continue and expand its program. While volunteering at HEARTH over 20 hours a week, Mrs. Smith also finds time to be at home to raise her three children. She credits her husband, Charlie, for helping ease the workload for her while she is working at HEARTH. She notes, “I feel fortunate to do something that means something to me, helping other people. My husband has supported me in being able to stick with the organization and do something I think is really important.”

Mrs. Smith’s volunteer work has not gone unnoticed as she recently won the 2006 Jefferson Award for Public Service. She has been an inspiration to me as she truly is an example of an individual making a difference in the lives of so many. Mrs. Smith’s example of civic engagement has inspired me to look for more ways that I can help out the community and make the world a better place. You can read her story in full in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Online at the following web address:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07005/751372-51.stm