MEMBERS of the Myall River VIEW Club are calling on the community to give generously this Anti-Poverty Week (16-22 October) and sponsor a child through leading children’s education charity The Smith Family.

Myall River VIEW Club helps seven children through The Smith Family’s Learning for Life education support program, which provides families with long term educational, financial, and personal assistance so that children have all the essentials needed to fully participate in their learning.

Rhonda Jurd, President of the Myall River VIEW Club, said joining VIEW or supporting a child has never been more important.

“With the rising cost of petrol, groceries, and housing, we are hearing from the charity that families are being forced to make impossible decisions about where they spend their dollars each week, leaving children at risk of missing out on basic school items such as uniforms, books and devices needed for learning.

“At a time when children are still dealing with the impacts of COVID and catching up on missed learning, the ripple effect of these added financial pressures at home could set them back even further.

“This is why VIEW is so passionate about supporting the work of The Smith Family because its evidence-based approach helps children experiencing disadvantage to overcome the educational inequality they face.”

They support children for the duration of their education, and this helps them build the confidence and skills needed to create better futures for themselves she said.

VIEW Clubs raised more than $1.1 million last year to support The Smith Family’s vital work, and they currently sponsor 1,550 students on the Learning for Life program.

They also collectively volunteered over 70,000 hours of their time to help young people in their local communities through homework, reading and mentoring programs run by the charity.

To find out more about joining VIEW, visit view.org.au or call 1800 805 366.

To sponsor a child through The Smith Family, visit thesmithfamily.com.au or call 1800 633 622.