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Did you know it’s possible to sponsor a disadvantaged Australian child through The Smith Family – and that every dollar donated goes towards achieving that child’s educational goals? Ultimately we at The Smith Family want to help as many young Australians in need to reach their full potential as possible and by coming on board as a sponsor for just $39 a month, you can help turn a child’s life around.
Single mother of three, Tina from New South Wales, has three children who have been sponsored since 2006 and here she explains what the support has meant to her and her family.
“My eldest children have vision and hearing impairments. They used to go to school for the deaf, but have now started going to mainstream schools. It’s great, although it means they want to do the same things as all the other kids and they can’t a lot of the time. If I didn’t have the support of The Smith Family I wouldn’t be able to send them on school excursions which would be just one more thing that set them apart from their friends.
As well as excursions, it means I can send them to deaf and vision camps respectively, which are so important for them because for three days a year they don’t stand out. Day to day my 11-year-old son in particular is singled out a lot for what he can’t do, but when he’s on vision camp, he gets to be the same and do the same things as everyone else.
Without Learning for Life sponsorship I’d probably be panicking every time a school excursion came along. Last year the deaf camp was only three weeks before the Year 6 camp and they were $300 each. This was without considering the costs of the other kids’ camps! Their hearing and visual aids cost a lot too.
Sponsors also report finding the experience of assisting a family extremely rewarding. Sydney-based sponsor Jill has sponsored a primary school student for the last three years and explains why.
“I was doing some research into volunteering with a Smith Family reading program, when I saw that you could sponsor an Australian child through Learning for Life. I really liked the idea of helping out a kid here in Australia. Having come from a family of two school teachers, I realise the value of education and was raised to be aware and considerate of those who didn’t have access to the options I did.
I’ve seen what it’s like for those kids who are left out of school activities, who missed out on new things for school and how cruel other kids can be. If something as simple as sponsorship can make a child’s school life better, you really need to help out if you can. It’s an easy way to do something thoughtful and kind for someone you’ll never meet. I know there’s a tangible benefit at the other end of my sponsorship for that child and their family.
About twice a year I receive an update about my sponsored child’s progress and it’s great that the parents can contribute as well, so you see two levels of appreciation. I was thrilled to see that my child was able to go on all her school excursions last year, plus buy the new pens and pencils she needed. Her Mum also advised her daughter’s reading and spelling had improved too which was great to see!
More than 33,000 Australian children are already sponsored through The Smith Family and 117,000 children and their families were supported by The Smith Family during the last financial year, but with 605,000 children living in jobless homes*, there is an urgent need for more support.
The Back to School Appeal will run throughout February. To sponsor an Australian child to reach their full potential through education visit www.thesmithfamily.com.au or call 1800 024 069.
Help an Australian child go to school
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Thanks for bringing this programme to my attention again. I had heard a radio interview with someone from the Smith Family and was inspired but didn't do anything about it. This reminded me that I had promised myself I would sponsor a child (which I have just done)
I've been a Learning for Life sponsor for about ten years, after doing some voluntary work for the Smith Family and falling in love with the way they work. The child I'm sponsoring now has moved into high school and is really getting into his stride, so it's just thrilling to follow his progress. When he finishes school, I'll stick with him if he needs tertiary support, if not I'll pick up a newbie child with the program.
There's so much about this program to love!!! The thrill at getting a progress report, the warm fuzzy that my money's helping a kid and his family...
I fell on hard times myself a few years back, but managed to keep my sponsorship going by just considering my kid as kind of a part of my own family. And the monthly $ just goes out of my account by direct debit, so I don't even miss it. If/when I climb out of my low income status I'll be taking on more kids, that's how much I value this program.
The Smith Family are a special kind of charity in many ways, and this is what I fell in love with years ago. They fund their core work - eg social workers - through their business arm that sells textile products, and use a lot of volunteer help to augment that. So the money they raise in their fund-raising campaigns goes absolutely where it should, to needy people. Not many charities you can say that for...