EVERYONE tells Uki's Joy Armour she's special.

"But I don't think I am," the 90-year-old says, from the veranda of her 102-year-old home. "I'm just me."

Well Joy you are, probably in one of very few instances in your life, wrong: you are special.

This special-ness goes far beyond Ms Armour's 61 years working for the local Red Cross, though its core role in the quality of person she - and her community - is, cannot be denied.

"When I started, I was mainly helping raise money to send away.

"We have a street stall that's been going for ever: on the first Friday in June, our winter appeal; and the first Friday in December, our Christmas appeal."

Deceivingly, she has not really done a lot more with the Uki Red Cross during six decades, yet what she said next defined the strength of this "not a lot".

"Last time we made $2000 for the day (during one street stall)."

Ms Armour is still engaged in Red Cross Calling, which involves phoning the sick or frail to check up on them and following up with visits in the event of no response.

"Uki Red Cross is also hosting the Uki Ball for the second year," she said.

"The Red Cross is a worthwhile cause because we help people.

"Everyone who's had a house burned - we help them out.

"We used to take sandwiches to people, and whenever people get lost on Mount Warning we help find them."

She had four sons and two daughters with her husband who died 25 years ago.

Six granddaughters and six grandsons were born via these children, followed by 16 great-grandchildren - after she sadly lost the eldest and youngest.

And the three great-great-grandchildren she "never expected" range in age from 27 to six months.

Someone once asked, after her husband died, why she did not move to Murwillumbah.

"Where can I live in Murwillumbah where I can just walk into town and get what I need?" she responded.

Only three of her 90 years were spent living outside of Uki, in Bangalow, after her husband was transferred by Norco Milk to Binna Burra.

"We enjoyed the stay there, but got a bit homesick so came back.

"Mount Warning," she said. "Every time you go away on holidays, when you see old Mount Warning you know you're home."

After 23 years as treasurer and 20 as president, until 2006, "all this new technology" is both a burden and hope for the unwearied community soldier.

"In Uki some things have always been the same: you work for everyone else.

"For my birthday one of the ladies sang a song about me, and I felt very humbled.

"I had the family on the Sunday, who had to go back to work the next week.

"Then on the Thursday of my birthday at the sportsgrounds there were over 100 there.

"I remember I was taking up the tea and coffee, and I thought there was only going to be about 30.

"I turned and said to my son 'You'll have to go and get some more teabags'."

The Uki Red Cross had no choice but to move with the times, even if some old soldiers were left behind, she admitted.

"Even the for the hall now they have to send an email to book it, when they used to just register with the post office.

"When I call the grandchildren they've got those little mobile phones which tell them who's calling."

Ms Armour said under current president Pauline Carroll the Uki Red Cross had "a good future, I think so, with these young ones taking over".

"The Red Cross was here and they needed members," she said in relation to why she joined, so long ago.

"I've always loved the area, loved doing things for people."