The Smith Family: Agents of Change

Compassion: a strong desire to alleviate the suffering of others

Most Australians have heard of the national independent children's charity, The Smith Family. What most Australians may not know is just how many ways the organisation has contributed to our country over the past century. Recently celebrating their 100th anniversary, The Smith Family has a compelling history. It culminates in the ongoing support of young Australians through the celebrated Learning for Life program, helping children overcome the educational inequality caused by poverty.

A touching story of humble beginnings details the conception of the charity. It tells how, in 1922, five Sydney businessmen delivered gifts on Christmas Eve to the Carlingford Boys Home and when asked their names (so the boys knew who to thank), wanting to remain anonymous they simply replied "The Smith Family", exemplifying the truest spirit of charity.

When The Smith Family Joyspreaders Unlimited (later shortened to, The Smith Family) first formally established themselves as an organisation in 1923, their constitution stated part of their objectives were:

"…to conduct a continuous campaign of good cheer and goodwill: to brighten the lives of the afflicted, distressed, sick, and needy…" and to "…radiate throughout the length and breadth of our country."

And radiate they did. Although beginning in NSW, The Smith Family slowly expanded the reach of their charity and goodwill across the entire country. From raising funds to build much-needed children's hospitals in the early 1920s to being instrumental in establishing pathways for women's rights, charting the different ways The Smith Family has contributed to Australia's collective wellbeing over the past 100 years is nothing short of astounding. Here are some of the many highlights:

1931 – The Smith Family works closely with the Red Cross handing out fruit, vegetables, eggs, milk, and other nutritious staples to help combat malnutrition in families in need.
1933 – The Smith Family raise funds to purchase a block of land in North Parramatta and build the Mount Arcadia Children's Hospital to provide proper long-term care to children with Rheumatic Fever and respiratory illness
1954 – The Smith Family builds and runs one of Australia's first supported aged care facilities, which in years to come became a shelter for women and children.
1960s - George Forbes, General Secretary of The Smith Family established the VIEW (Voice, Interest, and Education of Women) Club, allowing women to come together outside the home, to socialise, network, and assist others less fortunate. The VIEW club still exists today.
First established in the 1960s in Balgowlah, there are now 300 view clubs with 14,000 members.
1963 - After years of involvement in the recycling of clothes and materials, The Smith Family established White Elephant Stores to sell second-hand clothes to raise funds for other projects such as emergency relief.
1972 - The Smith Family established the Each-One-Teach-One program to help the influx of migrants with speaking English with community volunteers providing English classes to families in their own homes.
1982- The flagship White Elephant store in Chatswood is sold, marking the beginning of a new wave of thinking on how to tackle poverty.
1987 - The Smith Family identifies that families in need are craving education to help break the cycle of poverty.
1988 – EDU-CATE is established, offering scholarships and learning support to 60 high school students. The scholarships provided cash assistance, personal support, and mentorship.
1991 – First students enrolled for sponsorship which would set the template for The Smith Family model of assistance renamed Learning for Life in 1997.
2004 – The Smith Family is selected as the lead agency for Communities For Children initiative, to improve early childhood opportunities in Western Australia, the first of 9 Communities for Children.
2009 – The Smith Family started running the Indigenous Youth Leadership Program, helping provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children living in remote areas.
2017 – The Learning for Life program receives a grant from the Federal Government to reach an additional 24,000 students over 4 years.

Today in 2024, we celebrate The Smith Family as Australia's largest children's education charity. Their Learning for Life Program works with more than 179,760 children and young people in need, in over 90 communities. This program provides children with financial support for school essentials such as uniforms and books, access to additional learning and mentoring programs, and guided, individual support from The Smith Family to get to and stay at school.

Snooze is proud to be an ongoing partner to this wonderful organisation, who has been spreading joy, compassion, and learning throughout Australia for over a century, on their mission to be agents of change.

References:

https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/about-us/our-story/timeline