Help give some self-belief:

With just two days left of the financial year, The Smith Family Winter Appeal is experiencing a huge shortfall with more than $800,000 still needed to be raised this weekend. 

The national fundraising target is $3.4 million and the charity is urging Australians to donate and help kids in need in your own backyard. 

Donations to the Winter Appeal will allow The Smith Family to provide educational support and mentoring programs to 10,000 disadvantaged children across Australia, but many will miss out if the charity does not raise the money needed. 

Right now, one in ten Australian children is living in financial disadvantage and do not have access to the same opportunities as other children. This affects their engagement at school, their emotional and social development and ultimately their self-belief. 

The Smith Family’s CEO Dr Lisa O’Brien said that supporting the education of Australian children in need was a powerful way to end disadvantage. 

“Australia is known as the lucky country but unfortunately there are huge inequalities that exist for children and young people from disadvantaged homes and communities,” Dr O’Brien said. 

'Most kids worry about losing their jumpers or their books at school. The children we are helping lose their self-belief if they cannot be assisted to go to school. If they struggle to keep up at school, that brings greater self-doubt and isolation."

Dr O'Brien said the Winter Appeal helps provide ongoing educational support for children who do not have the same educational and life opportunities that many other children have.

“Without support, the disadvantage these children are experiencing today – through no fault of their own – could lead to a lifetime of lost potential. A donation to our Winter Appeal will help Australian kids in need and I really want these children to get the future they deserve,” she said. 

The funds raised will support a range of educational support and mentoring programs, including after-school learning clubs, reading support programs for kids who are up to two years’ behind in their reading levels, mentoring and tutoring programs. 

So dig deep and donate. You can support the Winter Appeal - which runs until the end of the day Sunday - by donating online at TheSmithFamily.com.au or calling 1800 024 069.

All donations are tax deductible.