Kempsey VIEW Club sponsors two children through The Smith Family to provide vital support for their education, but many more young Australians are in need of help.

Mrs Tarbox is hopeful the raising of awareness of Anti-Povery Week will encourage locals to lend a hand to those in need.

"There are so many families out there struggling to pay the bills, and education essentials like school books and excursions can fall to the bottom of the pile," Mrs Tarbox said.

"The latest data shows that there are 1.1 million children living in poverty in Australia right now - and our club is doing something about this huge problem that sadly affects so many.

"Sponsoring a child through The Smith Family helps ease the burden, providing a combination of financial support, personal support and access to a range of out-of-school learning and mentoring programs to help them get the most out of their education."

Mrs Tarbox has spoken with people who received support through The Smith Family and said they appreciate more than just the items they receive.

"I think one of the big things is that it shows the child that people do care and want to support them and that's very encouraging for them," she said.

"You are able to follow their journey and communicate with them and people who have been on the program have told me it means a lot to have the connection and it helps them to achieve their goals at school."

Currently, there are more than 15,000 VIEW members across Australia who are fundraising and volunteering for The Smith Family to help as many disadvantaged children as possible thrive in their education so they can create better futures for themselves.

VIEW Clubs raised more than $1.1 million for The Smith Family last year and collectively sponsor more than 1,350 Australian children in need to support their education.

To find out more about joining VIEW, visit view.org.au or call Fran Tarbox 6562 7797

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