To say that Sue Smith is involved in the State College community would be an understatement.

Fundraiser, chairwoman on numerous committees, and volunteer to countless organizations, Smith is considered a pillar in the volunteer community by many.

The mother of two grown children, Smith said she helped to instill the community service values into her daughter, Penny, and her son, Dan.

"I remember when they helped me with a craft recycling center," Smith said. "We recycled toilet paper tubes and other items for organizations like Girl Scout troops to use in craft projects."

Now that her children have grown, Smith baby-sits her neighbor's two young children. She takes them along to projects that she is working on, like bell ringing at the Interfaith Mission.

The mission is a collection of 37 church organizations that help people in need of financial assistance.

Smith noted that most of the housing in State College is intended for students, and many times realtors charge a certain amount of rent per person. This amount is exponentially more than a single family working for minimum wage can afford, she said.

"People think that this [State College] is such a well-to-do area," Smith said. "But the fact is that there are many people in this area who work service-related jobs and cannot afford to live here. Housing prices are outrageous."

A Lemont resent for 34 years, she has been involved in the Penn State community and surrounding areas for decades.

"I just really enjoy doing this," Smith said. "It' s very rewarding. I had breast cancer in '84, and it makes you look at what's really important in life."

Now, in addition to numerous other projects, Smith also councils other women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Community physicians often refer women who have been diagnosed to her if they need to talk, she said.

"I think that it helps sometimes to talk to someone who has been there before," Smith said. "And I think that it helps me just as much sometimes to talk about it with them."

Smith believes that being involved in the community is a way for her to give back to it. Organization, attention to detail and multi-tasking are all very important qualities for someone who chooses to be a full-time volunteer, she said.

"I always do more than one thing at once," she said. "Sometimes I'm doing two or three. Right now I'm paying bills while I'm talking to you [on the phone]."

Her husband, Ron Smith said she is an exceptionally capable person who is able to use her talents to help others.

"She is always working on something, and now that I am retired, I have time to help out too," Ron Smith added.

Being reared in a family that was very active in the community helped to infuse service values in Smith.

"My mother, Catherine 'Kit' Fernald, helped to launch a program for building a swimming pool in our hometown when I was young," Smith said. "She helped raise the funds and organized everything."