Organising Christmas
Illawarra Mercury
Tuesday December 11, 2007
Name: Matthew Salier.
Job: National Christmas manager, The Smith Family. I have been in this position for nearly 12 months. The Smith Family has been organising and delivering Christmas hampers to Australians in need since 1922, when the organisation was founded.Qualifications: Bachelor of Environmental Science, and an honours year focused on community involvement. I have worked for Landcare Australia and Tennis NSW, both not-for-profit organisations. What do you do in your job? I manage the logistical components of The Smith Family projects that support families at Christmas. This involves co-ordinating nearly 3000 volunteers to pack 10,000 hampers and 25,000 toy packs and distribute them to thousands of financially disadvantaged families around Australia. I have to make sure that we co-ordinate our activities to meet deadlines. First we pack the toys, then the hampers and, finally, we put them together ready for the delivery drivers.We do have some transport partners, such as Toll, to help with deliveries, but the majority of the hampers and toy packs are distributed by our volunteer drivers. There are about 1700 volunteer drivers which is a big project to co-ordinate.What is it like co-ordinating so many volunteers? Volunteers are great but you have to make allowances if, for example, someone can't make it on a day that they are scheduled to help. We have to have lots of contingency plans in place because we can't insist that people turn up. However, we're very fortunate that the majority do. Who are the volunteers? Staff from our corporate supporters - the companies that help fund the Smith Family activities throughout the year - often volunteer. We also have a lot of repeat volunteers from the general community which is great. We have one guy in Sydney who has been volunteering to pack hampers for 51 years and now he brings his daughter along. What personal qualities do you need to work for The Smith Family? The Smith Family is a large organisation so the ability to communicate clearly and work in a team are key skills. A large proportion of my role as national Christmas manager is keeping people informed. Around 200 of The Smith Family's more than 500 staff are directly involved in the Christmas activities.What is the hardest part of the job? Having to say "no". Unfortunately this is an aspect of the role. While 10,000 hampers and 25,000 toy packs seems huge, the reality is that we have more requests than we can fulfil. We have a lot of donations including those from the K mart wishing tree and Woolworths, and we also purchase goods with our budget. We'd love to be able to say "yes" to everyone but the reality is that there is a limit to our resources.Did you always want to work for a not-for-profit organisation? It wasn't something that I necessarily aimed for. I believe that it's important to be passionate about any work that you do, whether it's in the corporate or not-for-profit sector. Belief in what you, and the organisation you work for, are doing is very important - it makes it easier to come to work every day. For me, it makes a difference to know that I'm working for an organisation where the outcomes are so positive. That's how I feel about my work at The Smith Family as well as the work I did during my seven years at Tennis NSW. Will you be tired of Christmas by the time it comes? I'm still looking forward to Christmas Day - it's always a great time with family and friends. I don't think I could ever be over Christmas, although, I think with the amount of wrapping paper and tinsel I see over the next two weeks it might be hard to get motivated to clean up my place on Boxing Day!My family's traditions are very relaxed with the day spent over a long lunch, presents and an afternoon nap, if I'm lucky. Christmas evening is usually a time I catch up with friends to celebrate and exchange gifts.
© 2007 Illawarra Mercury
