Gannie Wimbush is so sweet, it’s a wonder she doesn’t come with an American Dental Association warning against cavities.

This woman, who’s determined to become one of the brightest lights ever seen in Selma, has one mission in life: To make as many people as humanly possible as happy as possible.

She’s doing quite well so far.

“I just love to try to reach down and help and encourage people,” the 50-year-old mother of six said.

She’s a constant prescence at the Voting Rights Museum on Water Avenue and she’s always available to help anyone who needs it.

“Everybody’s somebody and I just love everybody,” Wimbush said.

She means it too.

Despite her constant church activities at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, her duties as a volunteer at the Voting Rights Museum and the time she took to care for her ailing mother – she moved to Selma from Cleveland when her mother got sick – this woman is determined to be a light of God.

She helps out domestic violence victims, reaches out to the elderly and works with children at the 21st Century Leadership program.

She said her drive to help others comes from her own background and a deeply held personal relationship with God.

“When God’s brought you through (hard times) you know how to reach back and help others,” she said.

For Wimbush, volunteering is more than a civic duty, it’s what you’re supposed to do in life.

For anyone passing by the Voting Rights Museum, or happening upon the youthful Wimbush on the street, be sure to say “Hi.” Wimbush is certifiably able to make anyone’s day brighter and sweeter.

“If I can make you smile, that’s more than money,” she said.