In 1922, a group of Sydney businessmen were attending a conference. Some of their discussion centred around the fact that some people in the community were doing it tough. So they decided to band together and buy some toys which they distributed to a local orphanage. This gesture proved to be very successful and the orphanage wanted to thank them by name. However, they chose to remain anonymous and call each other "Mr Smith". And that is how the organisation known as The Smith Family came into being.
Guest speaker Edwin Gill who is a volunteer with The Smith Family says that his organisation is well known for helping disadvantaged children and families but not well understood. It has changed its profile at various times and people have become confused as to what it actually does. Because of this, Edwin said that the organisation decided to refocus its goals with a view to supporting one activity. So no longer do they acquire and distribute essential items to needy families.
They now focus purely on a program called Learning for Life which supports children from low-income families who don't have the means to provide the child with a good education which ultimately results in poorer life outcomes. The Smith Family believes that every child deserves a chance. Edwin said that it is estimated that an unproductive or uneducated child will cost the country $1.5 million over that person's lifetime. So, by supporting the children through education, their program is proving to be extremely cost effective.
The Smith Family is based in 90 communities around Australia and they provide scholarships to disadvantaged children from kindergarten to university. Statistics show that after the children have completed the Learning for Life program, 70% of them get jobs and another 16% actively look for work.
