CBE 365: Phyllis Smart, the Gatherer

ALLENDALE COUNTY, S.C. (WJBF) — WJBF NewsChannel 6’s Black Excellence 365 recognizes inspiring black individuals and organizations in the CSRA all year round. Recipients are honored with the Mary L. Jones Black Affirmation Award.

For April, we honor Phyllis Smart, “The Gatherer.” “This by far has been the best learning experience ever,bBecause we are teaching people how to be people,” Smart said.

Smart started her career in education and then moved into community empowerment. She started The Smart Box program from a divine calling and personal experience. A retired superintendent sparked her interest. “I had patented the Smart BOX and she saw it and she was like, you gotta bring that to Allendale County,” she recalled.

The program serves as a tool to address childhood trauma by unlocking the emotional barriers within affected children. “Trauma starts early and trauma affects children,” she said. “Like if a child was in an accident when they were 10 and they didn’t get over that accident, the trauma of that accident follows them into their adult life.”

Its mission – expanding beyond trauma intervention to include vital services such as assisting with bill payments and addressing food insecurity with the Smart Bowl Eatery. The vibrant hub is decorated with pictures featuring presidents, senators, local leaders, and community members.
It also serves as an emergency food pantry, helping hundreds of seniors weekly, and supporting children during summers.

She’s also venturing into farming with the Wellsprings initiative. Spanning nearly six acres, it will provide access to fresh produce and promote sustainable agriculture. “This right here is where we’re going to put the farm,” she showed Shawn. “Maybe four or five rows of different things. Cut em in half. You might have tomatoes and cabbage on one. Then you might have greens if we do decide to do greens on one and you can have the strawberries.”

It’ll also be a hub for healing, education, and community empowerment, including recreational areas, prayer and meditation spaces, and a potential shelter. “I can see where the houses will go because over here I would like to put a, like a dormitory house for people that could come from across the world and be healed to trauma and just, you know, this is the type of place you need to be,” she said.

Recognizing the need for support, Phyllis also launched programs like the 180 Degree Change Academy and the 50 Boys, 50 Men project to uplift the community, particularly the youth. “I know that it’s many things that they carried. Hurt and pain that they were not fully able to express. We have to get that out of our young boys because they become desensitized, and they no longer care,” she said.

She also amplifies community voices by getting into local government. Faith, perseverance, and a steadfast commitment to serving others are why she’s honored with this month’s Black Affirmation Award.

“The little girl in Beaufort would’ve stayed in a nine-to-five and think that that was it. That was the world. Because I made money and I worked and I came home and I took care of my kids. But now I could never go back to a nine to five,” she said.

If you want to nominate someone for our award, go to WJBF.com