In this Powerball winner story, learn how one woman and mother of seven used her winning to teach her seven children the importance of giving back.
There are some pretty heartwarming tales out there of Powerball winners who shared their wealth with those less fortunate. Some make charitable contributions to local organizations supporting the homeless. Others have donated to funds responsible for researching cures for cancer.
In this particular Powerball winner story, a mother and her seven children took their Powerball windfall to a whole new level. Pearlie Mae Smith had always taught her children the importance of giving back. The family used to donate their time to working in community gardens and volunteering in local soup kitchens. So, when this family became Powerball jackpot winners, they unanimously knew just what to do.
Pearlie Mae Smith, 70, and her grown children had purchased a Powerball ticket at a 7-Eleven in New Jersey. To their surprise, the ticket was worth $429 million. Their winning numbers were 5, 25, 26, 44, 66, and the Powerball, 9. Together, they split the jackpot evenly among themselves, which, based on the lump sum they chose, amounted to roughly $25 million each. And the family, having been dedicated to their faith and having lived a lifestyle of empathy and helping others, sought to apply their windfall to doing good within their hometown of Trenton, New Jersey.
Together, Pearlie Mae Smith and her seven children founded the Smith Family Foundation. It serves as a “pay it forward” organization, donating to various grassroots causes and charities in Trenton. Priorities for the foundation include neighborhood development, youth initiatives, family support, and education in an around the Trenton, New Jersey, area. Valerie Smith, Pearlie Mae’s daughter, shared details with the press. “It was like an affirmation from God,” she said, and went on to express gratitude to now have the funding to “do for our community.”
The Smith Family Foundation is rooted in faith and Christian values and intends to support various projects throughout the region. There are multi-year grants as well as one-year grants for organizations willing to attend workshops and leadership training. One of the most sizable contributions made by the foundation was a $750,000 donation to build a new church in Bridgeton, New Jersey. Annually, the foundation awards $25,000 in scholarships. And while most of the funds are reinvested into the local area, the foundation also explores charitable works outside of New Jersey, including a $16,000 donation to help build a school in Haiti back in 2016.
Valerie Arthur believes winning the Powerball jackpot was a “divine intervention.” One of the family members had a dream, reportedly revealing what numbers to play that day. And the family stands by the idea that a life of giving back and deep faith has allowed them to not only become Powerball winners but to also improve the lives of those in their community for years to come. “I could have gotten a yacht,” Arthur said. “It’s a blessing” being able to choose to help others even when you “have the ability to do whatever you want.”
Of course, the family had first chosen to pay off some personal bills and make improvements in their own lives with their winnings. But not all of the Smith children quit their day jobs, and some even continued to work in other organizations they had contributed to prior to winning.
From summer programs to literacy initiatives, the Smith Family Foundation continues to serve the community. And it’s a foundation that wouldn’t exist without the luck or maybe divine intervention of a Powerball ticket. It proves that a life of selfless giving can transcend even when multi-million-dollar windfalls are involved.