Pam Smith-Wright is once again calling on the Owensboro community to embrace kindness through her annual “Give a Hand, Pay It Forward” campaign, now in its 14th year. This year’s campaign runs from August 4-16, and Smith-Wright hopes residents will participate by performing simple, heartfelt acts of kindness — no matter how big or small.
“This is for the whole city to just do random acts of kindness during those dates,” Smith-Wright said. “You never know what someone else is going through. A kind word, a smile, or even a cold bottle of water could brighten their day.”
The former city commissioner has become known for the grassroots effort, which doesn’t require donations or registrations. People are simply encouraged to do good — whether it’s helping a neighbor, surprising someone with coffee, mowing a lawn, or handing out water during the heat.
Smith-Wright often leads by example. She recalled driving around with a cooler of bottled water, handing them out to people at bus stops, or paying for a woman’s groceries and shoes for her daughter after the woman was forced to put items back at the register.
“You should’ve seen the look on her face,” Smith-Wright said. “She said, ‘You’d do that for me? You don’t know me.’ No, I didn’t. But I could help her in that moment.”
Though participants aren’t required to share what they’ve done, Smith-Wright said she welcomes hearing stories of kindness. Anyone who wants to share can email her at [email protected].
She emphasized that the effort doesn’t have to cost anything. The idea is simply to give “it” forward — with “it” being time, compassion, and care.
“There are a lot of elderly people in our community who just need someone to talk to,” she said. “This is just to kind of shake the city and say, ‘Hey, it’s that time — let’s do better than last year.’”
She added that people can also “give a hand” by donating to their favorite charities, whether publicly or anonymously. Smith-Wright herself is chairing the Elizabeth Mundy Center Board, which is currently raising funds for a new facility. The County has pledged to match community donations up to $500,000.
Local businesses and organizations such as Independence Bank, Kentucky Wesleyan College, and others have continued to support the initiative by displaying the message on their marquees and spreading the word.
“Kathy Rutherman at Wesleyan told me, ‘I knew you were calling. I was waiting on you.’ That means a lot,” Smith-Wright said. “We’ve got great people in Owensboro. This is my hometown, and I love the people in it.”
For Smith-Wright, the campaign isn’t about recognition — it’s about uniting the community through empathy and action.
“If your life is going well, that’s wonderful. But there’s always someone who could use a hand,” she said. “Kindness doesn’t cost a thing — and it always comes back around.”
