As part of their annual Winter Appeal, The Smith Family is inviting Australians to lend a hand to help disadvantaged school students with their education.
The Smith Family aims to raise $5.4 million by 30 June to provide learning and mentoring support programs to over 12,000 young people in need, just in time for terms three and four.
This year’s appeal comes after two challenging years for families across the country. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many children, who were already at a disadvantage, to fall behind in their learning.
Those problems persist.
In 2022, The Smith Family surveyed over a thousand of the parents and carers that they support.
More than half of them say that COVID-19 continues to make learning difficult for their children.
Seventy-four per cent say they struggled to help their children with schoolwork during COVID due to a lack of skills and resources.
“They’re really worried about their children’s education and falling behind at school,” Richard Melville, the acting General Manager of The Smith Family Tasmania, said.
Money raised from the Winter Appeal will help fund a range of targeted educational programs that have proven to assist students in overcoming such barriers.
This will enable young people to get the most out of their education and reach their full potential.
One family that has significantly benefited from The Smith Family’s work is the Bennett family in Launceston, Tasmania.
Thanks to the programs available at their local Smith Family Learning Club, Chance and Jax (aged 11 and nine) could engage in various extracurricular activities and develop lifelong skills.
“I’ve been able to make new friends and gain new skills and confidence,” Chance said.
For mum, Justine, The Smith Family provided many valuable opportunities for her sons that they otherwise would not have had access to due to cost of living pressures.
“It really does change a child’s life,” Justine said.
“There are plenty of Australian families suffering under that pressure today, and I think it’s so important, where you can, to be able to give back.”
To find out more and lend your support to The Smith Family’s Winter Appeal, please visit this link: https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/winter
Markos Hasiotis
Markos Hasiotis is a writer and researcher based in Melbourne. He has written content for outlets around the world and volunteered for a variety of causes, including mental health, the environment, animal welfare and Meals on Wheels. His main passion is sharing facts and fighting against the forces of propaganda and misinformation.
