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Share your Christmas giving with 15,000 Australian children in need

Media releases

16 November 2016

With the festive season fast approaching The Smith Family is calling on generous Australians to share their Christmas by giving new toys and books to nearly 15,000 disadvantaged children.

The national children’s education charity’s annual Toy & Book Appeal needs 45,000 new toys and 30,000 new books to deliver to families in need across the country this December.

The Smith Family’s CEO, Dr Lisa O’Brien, said: “Supporting education is about more than just what happens in the classroom – it’s also about enabling positive experiences in the home and community which allow young people to feel included – and that’s why we distribute toys and books at Christmas time.”

“Growing up in poverty can mean being isolated and going without all year round, but it’s particularly hard for children at this time of year,” said Dr O’Brien.

“Sadly, thousands of Australian kids won’t receive a gift this Christmas simply because their families can’t afford it.

“By sharing your Christmas giving and donating to our Toy & Book Appeal, you will help bring a smile to a disadvantaged child’s face on Christmas morning.”

There are a number of simple ways to get involved:

Purchase a toy or book online through The Smith Family’s Toy & Book website
Donate a new toy or book
Register to run a toy and book collection in your community or office
Make a cash gift through our website or by calling 1800 024 069

In December, hundreds of volunteers will deliver the donated toys and books to almost 7,000 families who receive educational support from The Smith Family throughout the year.

The Smith Family has 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 providing long-term educational support for disadvantaged children, giving toy and books at Christmas is central to the organisation’s heritage.

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

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