By DAISY WASHINGTON / Community Columnist

Montez Herndon, more commonly known as Tez, has been championing the cause of the underdog for around 60 years.

Her earliest memory of reaching out to aide another human being in distress is while she was riding the school bus as a young child.

She observed another child that needed clothes.

“After getting home from school later that day I told my mother about it,” the 80-year-old Alabama native said. “She went to work gathering what she could from our house to give away. We told the neighbors about what we’re doing and was able to get them to assist us to help the child that needed the clothes.”

As United Steel Workers Union President and activist, Tez dedicated herself to championing equal rights of the African American workers.

The mother of five sons, she received numerous certificates for her outstanding support of human care services and community leadership with United Way fundraising campaigns for victims of childhood cancer and the Community Food Bank.

After the passing of her spouse of 50 years, Otis, she began attending the Columbiana Senior Center, where she ran a Bible study class through the end of 2017.

She has served her fellow parishioners and community at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church as Deaconess, Missionary, Sunday School teacher and Superintendent for the past 20 years.

Montez served with the City of Calera Chamber of Commerce for 19 years.

She is committed to spreading the understanding of scripture to as many as are willing to hear. Since 2010 Herdon has conducted a Bible class each Wednesday and spent hundreds of hours visiting with the residents of the Calera Nursing Home.

She also taught at the Columbiana jail for 13 years and counseled the inmates there. As a member of We Care Ministries, she evangelizes and assists with the distribution operations of food and clothing.  Montez says she loves working in her yard, and even at 80 years old, she still mows the lawn herself with a push mower.

A talented horticulturist, she earned the Beautification Award for Yard of the Month in 2009. She also writes beautiful poetry.

A recipient of the 2010 President’s Volunteer Service Award and the 2013 RSVP Spirit Award, she has logged 14,310 hours and been a member of RSVP since 2009.