What would be your priority if you won a $429 million Powerball jackpot? Go on an exotic trip, buy a fancy car or a mansion, perhaps?

No one would blame you.

That's why the Smith family of Trenton, N.J., is so remarkable. After hitting the jackpot a year ago, they made good on their promise to invest a good portion of their winnings to fight poverty. The eight-member family started a foundation to provide grants to organizations that improve the lives of children and families through education and neighborhood development.

Its mission: "Empower the community, cultivate leaders and transform lives."

Puts those mansions and exotic trips in a new light, doesn't it?

"We want to fund programs that directly affect systems of poverty so we can help change the systems or change the dynamics that are causing people to be in poverty," family member and foundation program manager Harold Smith told NJ.com.

They've smartly tapped into what experts say is the best shot at ending the cycle of systemic poverty — the "teach a man to fish" approach. Rather than just provide charity, give people the education and training they needs to find jobs that will help them improve their own circumstances.

It's sorely needed in Trenton, where 33 percent of children live below the poverty line, which equates to a household income of $24,000 for a family of four. And it's true in Dallas, where 38 percent of our children do.

Trenton, like Dallas, has long searched for ways to reverse this persistent trend. They recognize that lifting up the poor is not just the right thing to do for those in poverty; it also benefits the entire city by increasing the tax base and economic investment opportunities.

Smith said the family wants to change how people think of Trenton. "We don't want the first thing they think of to be gangs and violence. We want people to think of a vibrant city, a city that's on the upswing, a city that's bringing new life into the community, the capital of the state."

Pearlie Mae and Seamon Smith emphasized the values of hard work, love of God and giving back, their foundation website says. They lived in a neighborhood with poverty and drugs, but the parents always emphasized the importance of education.

Now the Smith family has more money to put behind those goals.

Theirs is believed to be the largest winning jackpot ticket sold in New Jersey. They elected to take a lump sum, with each of the family members receiving $25 million after taxes.

The odds of winning were one in 292.2 million. That means most of us will never see that kind of money in our lifetimes.

Still, there are lessons for all of us in the Smiths' noble actions: Do what you can — donate money, volunteer, get involved — just do whatever you can to make your community better.