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The Smith Family celebrates the outstanding contribution of its volunteers this National Volunteer Week

15 May 2023

This National Volunteer Week [15-21 May], children’s education charity The Smith Family is celebrating the significant contribution of its volunteers as ‘changemakers’ in helping the organisation continue to grow its reach and improve the lives of young people experiencing disadvantage.

Volunteers have always been an integral part of The Smith Family, and today are helping to support the education of more than 60,000 students across the country. In the past year alone, more than 4,600 Smith Family volunteers across every state and territory donated around 116,000 hours of service, with an estimated equivalent value of $3.7 million.

With this year’s sector-wide National Volunteer Week theme being ‘The Change Makers’, The Smith Family’s National Manager for Volunteering Lauren Stocker said it’s a wonderful opportunity to recognise the remarkable impact of volunteers across the organisation.

“Each year thousands of volunteers play a vital role in facilitating our learning and mentoring programs, while also providing valuable in-house administration support, with the students and families we support being the ultimate beneficiaries,” said Ms Stocker.

“The past few years have been particularly disruptive with the pandemic, natural disasters and now the economic crisis, and we are eternally grateful to our volunteers for their
continued support. “However, we also know that these challenges have significantly changed the way in which our volunteers are able to donate their time,” she said.

Volunteering Australia’s recent national strategy highlighted the need for more remote, short-term and flexible options for volunteers if we’re to retain volunteer rates on a national scale.

“We’re committed to ensuring we adapt to the changing nature of volunteering and continue to develop accessible and flexible options for our valued volunteers,” said Ms Stocker.

One volunteer who continued supporting The Smith Family during lockdowns was Christine Rigby. The 72-year-old remained in a Smith Family administrative role virtually throughout the pandemic, enabling not just continued support for the students and families supported by The Smith Family, but also tangible benefits to Christine’s wellbeing.

“Volunteering for me has always been about having a strong sense of community, and that good feeling that you’re doing something positive for society,” said Christine. “I volunteered virtually throughout COVID because I wanted to stay connected to my network.”

Research from Volunteering Australia found that those who stopped volunteering during the pandemic were far more likely to say that they felt lonely than those who continued volunteering.

Christine, who also volunteers as an educator and tutor at a local Learning Club for children in need, said her passion for volunteering stems from having experienced disadvantage herself in her youth.

“I’m motivated to give back because I know what it’s like to receive a helping hand when times were tough,” she said. “I really do give it my all and am always happy to put in extra hours. In return I get to work with a wonderful team at The Smith Family and celebrate the wins and joy of the students I support in my local Learning Club.”

The Smith Family welcomes the donation of time through a variety of roles around the country, with the opportunity to commit to as little as one hour a week, or to engage in longer-term roles. Volunteers can support children in need through a range of proven learning and mentoring programs - such as iTrack and the Growing Careers Project - as well as administration roles that help the organisation’s broader operations.

For more information on volunteering at The Smith Family and to see available opportunities in your area, please visit www.thesmithfamily.com.au/getinvolved/volunteer.

The Smith Family is currently running its annual Winter Appeal which aims to raise $6.2 million nationally to support the education of an additional 14,000 children in need to access its proven learning and mentoring programs. 

Media Enquiries: Media Advisor, Naomi Kaplan | (+61) 411 758 596 | naomi.kaplan@thesmithfamily.com.au