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Team Hartwell Lake - Don Smith, Skipper
Bob and Carolyn Wilson, aboard Sea Island Girl, continue Lakeside’s long running series of cruising adventures which began in the mid-1990s. To date we’ve had the Johnston family, Jean and Bill Bayman, and Mechelle and Bill Cooksey all contribute to the series. Bob and Carolyn boated on Lanier until leaving for their adventure in 2002. It has been said that “goodness is the foundation of the great man’s character,” and in today’s world, most of us would be challenged to recount the number of times we’ve crossed paths with someone whose passion in life was that of being good to everyone around him. Carolyn and I were fortunate to meet such a man in the early ’90s, as he strolled along the docks of Sunrise Cove Marina. We shared a mutual interest in sailing, and as a result our friendship developed and grew. During the years since our meeting, we have witnessed the ways in which goodness builds character. Seventy-five years ago, Don Smith was born in Akron, Ohio. When we first met, he was operating a successful waterproofing business in Atlanta and his recreational pastime was sailing. We shared some memorable weekends on the lake, and on occasion our families enjoyed sailing vacations in the Caribbean. It was during these extended visits that we began to recognize the virtue in his quiet, unassuming personage. Behind the scenes, Don carried on a life that most have only read about. At an early age, his family had instilled in him Christian values. “Do unto others … ” became his mantra, and he felt compelled to involve himself in making a difference in the lives of others. He later became an ordained minister, and in addition to his pulpit responsibilities, he and a team of others traveled undercover to Romania, smuggling Bibles into that country with little or no concern for their personal safety. In 1996, he helped organize Rescue, Inc., a non-profit organization with the aim of providing meaningful assistance to the people of various African nations. “African relief has gained the attention of Hollywood, and while it creates headlines and cable news coverage, very little of the assistance actually reaches the people for whom it was intended,” said Smith. “The government controls everything, and although well meaning, the movie stars never seem to understand the real issues.” “For the most part,” he adds, “the governments are corrupt and through their actions, they have created the very dire economic turmoil the villagers face on a daily basis.” Rescue, Inc., operating solely on donations, has successfully instituted a variety of community projects in the countries of Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Tanzania and Kenya. Their worked is focused on helping villagers to become more self-sufficient. For the past 10 years the irrigation and water projects started by Rescue, Inc. have resulted in a resilient expansion of local farming programs, and produced an abundance of staple crops by which the villages can use to feed their families. By delivering the necessary equipment and tools and needed training, Smith can now rely upon a team of local project leaders to continue the projects and even expand their work by developing programs to address other needs. One such team leader is Linda Limbe, who works among the women, teaching them to read and write, and ways in which they can develop their skills to create items which can be sold in neighboring African markets. Smith has helped to establish six orphanages in Malawi and Mozambique where each serves 60 to 100 children whom have become orphaned because their parents died as the result of HIV. Housing and food programs are provided for the children, whom are lovingly referred to as “family,” rather than orphans. Rescue, Inc. relies heavily on financial contributions from outside of Africa to support these orphanages as there is no support for the programs from the government. “Our economy has certainly had an impact,” says Smith. “Following my retirement, I lived for two years in villages throughout Malawi and Botswana, and it is encouraging to see how the programs have evolved and to witness the continual progress we have made.” Smith now can only make two to three trips each year, and he relies heavily on the on-going work of the teams of volunteers he organized, and the continued financial support of those willing to support Rescue, Inc. here in the U.S. So, you never know who you meet walking along a dock. Although Don has become a respected member of our extended family, he is not alone. Each year we have the fortune to meet one or two individuals, out on the water, who have a cause for which they are equally as passionate. Through each of them we have gained understanding and a personal perspective on how, through goodness, someone like Don has committed their life to changing the lives of others.
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