Joy Smith has volunteered in some capacity for over four decades of her life. Giving of one’s time, talents and treasures was modeled in Joy Smith’s growing up years in Cleveland, Ohio.   “I participated in Camp Fire Girls. My mom was our volunteer leader,” said Joy.

In fact, upon college graduation in 1956 from Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio, Joy took a job as District Director of the Grand Rapids contingent of Camp Fire Girls.

Joy remembers she had four job offers when she graduated from college. “Grand Rapids was still within 300 miles of Cleveland, not a huge drive back to visit home,” Joy said. She worked for the Camp Fire Girls for four years.

In 1994, after the urging from her friend and neighbor Donna Hill, Joy Smith volunteered at the Lowell Library as a Friend of the Library. The Friends of the Library had just started up again in 1991.  At the time she began her volunteering, the library was located in half of the Graham Building at the corner of Main and Hudson in Lowell. The other half was occupied by the YMCA.  As fundraising efforts began to build a new and bigger library, Joy got involved. A lot.

The community wholly supported the campaign. Lots of cookies, ice cream sundaes and used books were sold by the Friends of the Lowell Library. Several school groups, local businesses, and non-profit organizations raised funds for the new library. After a substantial donation from Harold and Mildred Englehardt was made, the building of the new library began. The site was owned by Lowell Schools and sold to the City of Lowell for $1.00.

The new library was completed in 1997. Named the Englehardt Library of Lowell, patrons now enjoyed a beautiful view of the Flat River in a building eight times the size of the former location. More space meant more shelves to be filled with books and once again, the Friends of the Lowell Library volunteered to help bring more materials to the Lowell Community.

After that, Joy took a job with Jacobsons, an upscale department store in downtown Grand Rapids. She worked in Accessories and then Ready to Wear and eventually became a Department Supervisor. Even though she worked full-time, Joy volunteered as a leader when her daughters were in Camp Fire Girls, as well as at her church. In 1994, Joy retired from Jacobsons and many organizations benefited from her time, talents and treasures.

In 1997, Joy was appointed President of the Friends of the Englehardt Library. Anne Pasquale was the Vice-President, Secretary and Historian was Donna Hill and Joan Wittenbach was in charge of Public Relations. And with Joy at the helm, the Friends provided interesting branch programming, hosted holiday teas and coordinated monthly book discussions. By 1998, the Friends group was 40 members strong and they added sorting and curating books for the Book Nook Used Book Sale corner, decorating a lobby holiday tree and writing grants for additional display furniture for the library to their list of accomplishments. One of the biggest needs for volunteers and coordinating those volunteers happened at  the large outdoor used book sale that occurred at the Lowell Riverwalk Festival. Joy worked tirelessly at these two-day sales and always wore smart sun hats identifying her as the “Queen Bee” of the sale. One of her clever ideas for generating more funds was the creation of book baskets, pairing a great book or two with a mug complete with a packet of hot cocoa or tea. They were packaged so nicely with one of Joy’s signature wired ribbon bows and made great gifts to give or receive.

Joy did not limit herself to volunteering only for the Friends of the Library. She also donated her time to the Kent District Library Alliance of Friends, the Lowell Historical Museum, St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lowell, the Lowell Arts Council and the Lowell Women’s Club. In Grand Rapids, she volunteered as a docent at the Grand Rapids Public Museum and as a Women’s Board Member at the Porter Hills Retirement community.

In fact, Joy Smith was awarded “Person of the Year” in Lowell in 2011, an honor given to a person in Lowell who has demonstrated a true commitment to the greater community. According to an article from the Lowell Ledger, Joy said, “Volunteering, it’s what I do”. When asked what she did in her spare time when not volunteering, she admitted she did some gardening and more reading, but really, she liked to volunteer!

Volunteering as a Friend since 1994 and then serving as the President of the Friends of the Englehardt Library from 1997 until  September 2018, Joy has been an active library volunteer for 28 years and the President for 25 of those years. In the time since her retirement from the Library Board, she continues as a Friend and serves as an invaluable resource of experience, history and inspiration. Our world is a better place because of you and your volunteerism. We thank you for all you have done, Joy!