Oldies 107.7 Community Builder Dana Smith, along with colleague Natalie Spratt is co-founder of the local group, Teachers Against Poverty.
An Arnprior native, Dana says the concept of giving back was instilled in her by her parents at a very early age. One of her earliest Christmasses- and, most meaningful according to Dana, was the year her family adopted another family for
Christmas, looking after gift items and seasonal needs.
She says she has been blessed with a good life, and giving back is the most pleasant of duties.
Dana Smith has been teaching for over twenty years now, and involves her classroom flock wherever she can in hopes of instilling the helping spirit in her students.
Class initiatives have included helping the Arnprior Food Bank and Neighbourlink Fountain- with international projects such as sunami and earthquake relief.
Believing students learn better when their nutritional needs are met led to Dana and teaching counterpart Nat Spratt forming Teachers Against Poverty- a group whose mission continues, despite the interruption of the school year by the COVID-19 Crisis.
Here is our full conversation: