Frequently Asked Questions for Volunteering

Volunteering takes place in many forms and are usually of social benefit to the community. As a volunteer, not only are you giving to the community but you can also reap rewards from your volunteer work. Volunteers often gain personal satisfaction, develop social networks, learn new skills, gain work experience and maintain existing skills.

The Smith Family embraces all people who want to make a difference regardless of education, background or skill set. We welcome expressions of volunteering interest from anyone who has a few hours a week to be able to give their time or talent to support a young person create a better future for themselves. Due to the nature of our work with young people we require volunteers in certain roles to pass a Police Check and Working with Children Check.

Our Learning for Life (LfL) program is our core service delivery program. It assists children who come from disadvantaged families to succeed in school. Volunteers are needed year round for this program in a variety of capacities including:

• Mentoring
• Tutoring

Other areas for volunteering are:

• Event Based Roles
• Retail (Shop) Assistant
• Christmas Activities
• Project Roles
• Marketing and Relationship Building
• Administration support
• Call Centre (NSW only)
• Human Resources
• Other (as specified by you - let us know the skills you would like to donate, and we will get in touch with you to see how we can best use your expertise)

The time and commitment required to be a volunteer varies from program to program, and will depend on the volunteer position you choose. For more information on time commitments please consult the individual volunteer description.

Yes there are. If you are not able to participate in an ongoing volunteer role, there are plenty of other short-term vacancies available. Short-term volunteering roles usually take place for specific projects.

The Smith Family undertakes a phone interview and a face to face interview for some of our volunteer roles. This enables us to get an opportunity to get to know you better and for you to find out more about the volunteer role and expectations. It gives us the best opportunity to ensure we have the best match for the volunteer role and ensure that your volunteer experience is a positive one.

The Smith Family adheres to our legal commitments in relation to Child Protection and Privacy and Confidentiality. We ask all volunteers to undergo a police check for a Criminal Record and a Prohibited Employment check (to ensure that you haven't been convicted of an offence prohibiting you from working with children or accessing information about children). If there were any other legal or training requirements for the volunteer role you are interested in, you would be informed of this during or prior to an interview.

Depending on the program you choose to volunteer with, you may be asked to complete additional forms.

• Some positions require little formal training and specialist skills, whilst others have greater requirements. Training is generally provided by The Smith Family. Volunteers are not required to incur any expense for the training they undertake.
• Training begins as soon as you are accepted as a volunteer. You will attend one of the informational orientation sessions. Orientations take place throughout the year at The Smith Family office nearest your location.
• Ongoing support continues throughout the year with dedicated staff whom you report to as well as a National Volunteer Coordination Unit whom you can contact at any time for additional assistance and support.

Due to the large volumes of inquiries we receive each year, The Smith Family only has limited internship and work experience placements on offer. We however, do not currently accept applications from students but rather work with various education institutions to organise these placements. Please speak with your student coordinator or placement officer to discuss your options.