Salvation Army gears up for 60th Red Shield Appeal

THIS weekend marks The Salvation Army’s 60th Red Shield Appeal, the country’s largest and longest-running doorknock appeal.

Running May 25 and May 26, the annual fundraiser helps to raise funds to allow the organisation to continue supporting the community’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged members.

Across its network of more than 400 centres and 2,000 services, the Salvos provide assistance, on average, to one person every 17 seconds in areas such as homelessness, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and financial hardship.

Locally, the Bellarine Peninsula Salvos team are hoping to raise as much as possible through this year’s appeal. “The Red Shield Appeal is so important because it does go straight back into the community and is helping the people that need it most,” captain Diane Hobbs said.

“Sometimes we think, ‘That won’t be me’ or there can be a little bit of distance that we place between us and them…but actually, the reality is, it can happen to any of us, at any time and for whatever reason.

“We work a lot with kids, youth, families and the most vulnerable and across all demographics and so all the money raised goes back into supporting those families.”

With a team of nearly 100 volunteers, the Bellarine Peninsula Salvos offer the local community a wide variety of support services ranging from children and youth programs to emergency service relief.

The branch also operate an outreach assistance van which offers assistance and provides additional wellbeing checks every Friday evening for those living in social housing or sleeping rough across the Bellarine and into Geelong.

“The whole point of what we do is to try and wrap around families and journey with them long-term, especially working with kids and youth,” Ms Hobbs said.

“It’s just a really tricky time for them, so it’s about making sure they have a safe space and strong role models and supports in their lives, certainly as they transition through those teenage years as well.”

Ms Hobbs said natural disasters and the economic crisis were “non-discriminatory” and had created tough conditions for people of all socio-economic groups with many seeking support services for the first time ever.

“Every day we are working alongside people who simply cannot make ends meet, making impossible choices between food and rent, medication and warmth,” she said.

“Here at the Bellarine Peninsula Salvos, we strive to be a beacon of hope and a pillar of support within our community.

“We offer this care wherever life happens. Difficult times do not discriminate.”

She encouraged all those in the community who could benefit from some additional support to reach out to the services available to them.

To donate to the Bellarine Peninsula Salvos, head to digitaldoorknock.salvationarmy.org.au/o/bellarine-salvos or contact Diane Hobbs on [email protected]

Volunteers will also be collecting donations for the appeal at the Boundary Road and Portarlington Road in East Geelong tomorrow (Saturday, May 25) and will be doorknocking across the region on Sunday, May 26.