This independent and non-profit children's charity is based in Australia. Its goal is the creation of opportunities for children who are disadvantaged plus their families and encouraging them to be more fully active in society, utilizing education as the vital tool. The goal of the Smith Family is helping disadvantaged Australian children to obtain the maximum out of their education, so that they could create futures that are better for themselves.
More than 600,000 children in Australia today are living in jobless families. For these disadvantaged kids, the effects of a weak family financial base extend further than the woes of not getting basic family needs. It also may prevent these young ones from accessing similar life opportunities or education compared to their peers.
Convinced that all children deserve a chance to succeed in life, the Smith Family deires to promote chances where that potential can be realized by each child. It is with this vision that they have gone forward and launched their unique charity initiative referred to as "Learning for Life". This is a national program that aims to empower all young persons and children the opportunities that they deserve and require so as to fully take part in quality education and fashion a better future for themselves.
This Learning program presents long range support to young persons in Australia during their entire schooling life. The initiative gives continuous educational support to many of the disadvantaged students so that they would develop needed vital life skills, and also to ensure that they take active part in their own education.
The Smith Family through this Learning for Life initiative has been able o link many students with willing and available sponsors. The support of the sponsor goes towards meeting the expenses of necessary school items such as uniforms, text books, and school trips. This national learning program has got some 97 workers spread in communities across Australia who are connecting the needy students to available opportunities learning and offering a variety of learning plus mentoring support systems.
The Smith Family work in Australia is basically evidence-led and is strongly reinforced by a network of extremely powerful partnerships with a lot of willing community plus corporate organizations as well as individual volunteers, donors, and sponsors. Part of this is the VIEW Clubs with membership standing at 20,000.
The Smith Family History
Just prior to Christmas of 1922, five businessmen who were returning from an expedition to the Blue Mountains paid a visit to an orphanage with the aim of sharing the Christmas spirit through offering the children with sweets and toys. Desiring that their donation remain anonymous, each of the men, when asked their name by the establishment matron, responded as "Smith".
And subsequently The Smith Family was born!
Over the period covering the late 20s to the early 30s, when rates of unemployment soared to record levels, Smith Family continued to assist Australians in their thousands with the needed food and clothing needs.
In 1933, during a severe attack of rheumatic fever was a major concern in the country, affecting lots of children the Smith Family took action by setting up a specialized hospital, in North Parramatta, Mt Arcadia although it later shut in 1958.
The Smith Family, in 1960, under the management of George Forbes, the General Secretary, founded "View Clubs Australia" (Voice, Interest and Education of Women) to offer a support network meant for women.
A pillar of the Smith Family organisation from 1960, Voice, Interest and Education of Women (VIEW) Clubs of Australia funds in excess of 1,000 of Learning for Life sponsorships, assists primary school students in doing their homework, donates stationery school packs for the students and offers critical mentoring support.
During the 70s, The Smith Family came to the rescue of needy refugee families fleeing the wars in Timor as well as Vietnam. They also came to support the Darwin residents after the devastating Cyclone Tracey.
Towards the late 80s, The Smith Family changed focus. The goal became clear: that no child ought to miss out at school. All must be accorded the best opportunity of attaining their full potential. Thus Learning for Life program got born.
Over 90 years later, The Smith Family is yet transforming lives. Today they are empowering the Australian child in want towards creating a better prospect for themselves via education.
Support through Learning for Life is offered in 3 main ways:
- Learning for Life Workers connecting students and families to available opportunities in their own local community;
- Facilitating accessibility to The Smith Family's mentoring and education programs;
- Through sponsorships matching a disadvantaged student to a suitable sponsor who will offering both financial assistance with the cost of necessary educational items, and in offering emotional support encouraging students to remain motivated while at school.
Getting Involved
You don't require living among one of the over 90 communities where the Charity works in to show that you care.
Staring from being a volunteer in one of the retail stores to convening your own fundraising occasion or even running the celebrated City2Surf towards raising money, there are many ways of getting involved.
You could join the thousands of others who care and are passionate about assisting children who are disadvantaged in creating a better future through education for themselves.
Sponsoring a Child
For under $1.60 daily ($48 monthly), you could make a long term difference to the life of a child. Your small sponsorship goes directly towards the support of education and offering opportunities which will assist a child in learning, for life.
Donating
The Smith Family is convinced that each child deserves an opportunity. That is why the Charity supports young Australians who are disadvantaged towards creating better prospects for themselves, through giving them educational support. Through your support, The Smith Family could assist in excess of 638,000 Australian children who are living in some disadvantage.
Your generous donation will assist young Australians who are in need through the provision of access to the charity's Learning for Life programs.
Through your sponsorship, you'll get matched to a needy Australian child and while your financial support goes towards meeting the cost of the child's school basics.
