What a Trenton Family Did When They Won a $429 Million Jackpot
In the Spring of 2016, a family from Trenton won a $429 Million Powerball jackpot. According to NJ.com, Pearlie Mae Smith and her seven children described the win as "divine intervention" since the winning numbers came to Smith in a dream. She purchased the winning ticket at the 7-Eleven on Chambers Street in Trenton.
So how did the family spend their winnings? Like most people who win the lottery, they did treat themselves to certain luxuries, but unlike many winners, they also decided to give back to the community where they lived.
Each member of the family gave a portion of their winnings to start the Smith Family Foundation, whose mission, according to it's website, "is to empower (their) community, cultivate leaders and transform lives by providing funding and Transformative Leadership Development workshops to Trenton based organizations." The foundation's headquarters is located on West State Street.