Going unnoticed when attempting to conduct an interview with Christy Dunaway Smith in a public place, be it a restaurant, cocktail bar, or coffee shop, is an impossibility.
The local philanthropist and content creator behind the popular lifestyle blog, “SoFortWorthIt,” simply knows too many people. And these people, who each cheerfully approach Smith, don’t seem to be mere acquaintances sharing normal pleasantries, either. No, they’re friends who immediately engage in banter that alludes to a fondness and deep affection for one another. “Tell Jason [Christy’s husband] he needs to work on his short game,” would be one example of an exchange, despite my not hearing those words specifically.
While Christy’s vivacious personality is no doubt infectious — she practically speaks in emojis — she also readily admits that her overt positivity can teeter on naivety, a trait that has, at times, put her in hot water.
“I’ve always kind of lived in my own little positive world,” Christy says. “It’s kind of a bubble where I assume too many good things.”
The blogging landscape has changed considerably since Christy began “SoFortWorthIt” in 2012. Today’s content largely lives via Facebook posts and reels on Instagram and TikTok, where comment sections become a feeding ground for trolls and naysayers. This is the drawback of being in the modern day’s public eye — the contrarian’s voice, whether rightly or wrongly, is more amplified than it’s ever been.
Following an incident in February 2022, the negativity hit an apex (or basement, depending on how you look at it), and Christy took a much-needed break from social media. This respite allowed her to regroup and focus on two philanthropy projects she’d been toying with: a city-wide collection day for Beautiful Feet Ministries, a nonprofit church for displaced people that provides food, health care, clothing, and worship services, and Your Dress, Their Dream, a prom dress drive for young girls with financial concerns.
We caught up with Christy a few weeks ago to talk about what she’s been up to lately. Unable to conduct the interview over drinks or dinner due to reasons already stated, I gave Christy a call when she was on a road trip, during which we discussed her new charity initiatives, what inspired her to take on philanthropic work, and the world of being “internet famous.”
FW: Hi, Christy, how’s it going?
Christy Dunaway Smith: Hi! How are you? I’ve got you on speaker and my son’s in the car, but he’s pretty much heard everything in my entire life, so …
FW: OK. All right.
CDS: It’s all good. He’s 15.
FW: Well, I’ll still make sure the language remains PG. I’d love to talk about your new charity initiatives [Beautiful Feet Ministries and Your Dress, Their Dream]. Let’s start with Beautiful Feet. How did you get involved and how did the idea strike you?
CDS: Well, for so long I had just been doing social media stuff, and I had stopped doing philanthropic work — I used to be on all of these boards, and I chaired this and that. But when I started blogging, all of that got pushed to the side because it was very difficult to do both at the same time. It was one or the other, and I really missed it. [Philanthropy work] really is my heart and joy. So, last January, I started thinking about doing a Kingdom cause — something that supported God’s mission.
In February, I fell into a space where I got off social media for a brief time, and it was during this time when I decided to partner with Beautiful Feet Ministries for a city-wide collection drive. We did a letter campaign and filled an entire U-Haul truck up to the roof with food, cases of water, backpacks, luggage — a whole list of very specific needs — and we delivered it to Beautiful Feet. But I wasn’t satisfied. Even though we got a lot of donations, I knew that our community could do better. So, I formed a Beautiful Feet committee that was family oriented — parents and children, all hands on deck. And we did a giant letter campaign, and we raised over $28,000. We’re still growing and trying to make a big impact on the city.
FW: Why did you decide to partner with Beautiful Feet?
CDS: With so many great foundations and charities, it’s difficult to pick one. Beautiful Feet is kind of the boutique homeless community outreach program, and their focus is on Christ and saving and healing people who are disadvantaged. They are an actual Christian, faith-based organization, so they get zero money from the government and zero support. The church is run by real people giving real donations.
The Presbyterian Night Shelter and Union Gospel also do amazing work for the homeless community down there. They are both very, very well-oiled machines and very well-funded. It’s really a trifecta of great organizations that work in the homeless community. Beautiful Feet is just more grassroots. But my hope, my vision for the future, is that this campaign will one day be bringing in millions of dollars.
FW: Now let’s talk about the second charity, Your Dress, Their Dream.
CDS: I know, it’s cuckoo. How did I do two in one year? So, this was very organic compared to Beautiful Feet, which was more structured. This charity was simply: I did something, and it caused a ripple effect.
While cleaning out my closet — I literally still had stuff from middle school — I made several piles. There was stuff that was going to Beautiful Feet. There was stuff that was going to Berry Good Buys. And there was stuff going to The RealReal [secondhand designer clothing store in Dallas]. Then there was stuff that wasn’t a right fit for any of those, and I ended up with 10 incredible ball gowns. Then Bonnie, who was helping me clean my closet, suggested I gift them to [underprivileged] girls who might need them for prom or homecoming. I thought it was such a good idea, and, literally, just a few weeks later, we kicked off a prom dress drive right in my own home.
And it was a smashing success. We ended up with 350 gown donations, and everybody loved it. This was last August, and I cannot tell you how many phone calls I’ve received over the past year asking if we’re going to do it again.
So, this September 17, we’re doing another prom dress drive at Into the Garden in Clearfork. We’ve got B&B Butcher’s doing the food; there will be a DJ and balloons. It’s almost going to feel like an adult prom party for everyone to come and bring their prom dresses to give to people in need. I’m hoping the people who show up and donate go well beyond my bubble of friends and followers, and we end up with 350 dresses this time.
FW: So, what ultimately inspired you to get involved in philanthropy work?
CDS: Well, going back to college, I dove into philanthropic work, and I started doing a lot of stuff with the museums, and I chaired a lot of things. And it was seeing my parents do this — my mom was on so many boards and chaired so many things — that made it a natural segue for me. I knew that that’s what I wanted to do when I was old enough. And so, right out of college, I started filling those shoes and serving on boards and raising money. And, honestly, it just filled my heart and soul to be able to give back in such impactful ways.
And when I started blogging in 2012, I couldn’t do both; I needed more hands and more Christys to make that happen. But, even when I’m blogging, I always try to use that platform to promote charities, philanthropy, and giving back to the community.
FW: So, what’s the word for it these days? Is it blogging? Are you an influencer or content creator? What’s your title?
CDS: That is such a good question. I personally hate the word influencer. I think it’s overused and abused. And blogger is so blasé. I mean, now, I think it’s more content creator. But, really, I’m a community volunteer with a philanthropic heart.
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