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Help 12,000 children join in the spirit of Christmas

Media releases

05 November 2015

With the festive season fast approaching The Smith Family is calling on generous Australians to help collect and donate new toys and books to allow 12,000 disadvantaged children to share in the joy of receiving and opening presents this Christmas.

The national education charity’s annual Toy & Book Appeal aims to gather 36,000 new toys and 23,500 new books to deliver to disadvantaged families across the country by 20 December.

The Smith Family’s NSW/ACT General Manager, Steve Macready, said: “All children should be able to share in the festivities of Christmas, but this is not the reality for thousands of children across Australia in families who are struggling financially.

“For a child living in disadvantage, Christmas can be an incredibly isolating experience and a reminder of what sets them apart from their friends and peers,” Mr Macready said.

“We are relying on the kindness of the public to donate new toys and books, or run their own collections to support our Toy & Book Appeal.

“This is a simple way to help them to feel included in the joys of Christmas.”

In December, hundreds of volunteers will deliver the donated toys and books to more than 5,500 families who receive educational support from The Smith Family throughout the year.

The Smith Family has had a long and proud association with Christmas since it was founded in 1922 when five businessmen delivered gifts to orphans on Christmas Eve. While today the charity’s year round focus is on helping disadvantaged children to thrive at school, giving toys and books at Christmas is a nod to the organisation’s heritage and its care for the families it supports.

“A successful education is about more than just what happens in the classroom – it’s also about positive experiences in the home and community which allow young people to feel included – and that’s why we continue to distribute toys and books at Christmas time,” said Mr Macready.

There are three simple ways to donate to the Toy & Book Appeal:

Donate a new toy or book, or register to run a collection in your community
Purchase a gift online through The Smith Family’s website
Make a financial donation online or by calling 1800 024 069

To register, donate or find out more visit thesmithfamily.com.au.

Media contacts:

Andrew Dickson | National Media Manager (National) - 0421 285 529 | andrew.dickson@thesmithfamily.com.au
Carla Horton | Senior Media Advisor (QLD & WA) - 0423 618 776 | carla.horton@thesmithfamily.com.au
Reid Jermyn | Media Advisor (VIC, SA & NT) - 0412 803 566 | reid.jermyn@thesmithfamily.com.au
Ben Chenoweth | Senior Media Advisor (NSW, ACT & TAS) - 0413 346 934 | ben.chenoweth@thesmithfamily.com.au

The Smith Family is a national children’s education charity that helps young Australians experiencing disadvantage to create better futures for themselves through harnessing the power of education. We partner with around 800 Australian schools and work with over 162,000 children and young people experiencing disadvantage access our education support programs to help them overcome . For more information, visit thesmithfamily.com.au