Each year the Glen Innes Salvation Army raises thousands of dollars in the Red Shield Appeal.
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And organisers are hoping this year will be no different.
Major Amanda Choy-Show has recently moved to the Glen Innes corps, where she has been overwhelmed with the support and enthusiasm of local volunteers.
“It’s our annual fundraising activity to raise money to help people in the community,” she said.
“We do lots in the community.
“We help with food, accommodation, clothing, support throughout hard times and we refer people to get help with their finances through financial counselling.”
While short-term emergency assistance is vital, the team also provide ongoing support in certain situations.
“We assist in emergencies say if someone’s had a house fire or someone’s fridge blows up and they just need help for a short period of time,” she said.
“Then you have people who need help for a long period of time or longer term set of circumstances and we offer that type of help.”
But to ramp up efforts this year, the Salvos have created a new volunteering website to help get more volunteers on board with their door knocking efforts.
This year the appeal will be focussing on homelessness, to which there are over 100,000 people living without a safe of secure place to stay in Australia right now.
“Hope – I think that’s the message we try to bring and that comes in all sorts of forms,” Ms Choy-Show said.
It will also be Ms Choy-Show’s first Red Shield Appeal in Glen Innes – having only moved here in mid-January from Gympie in South-East Queensland.
“I think this is definitely the coldest place I’ve worked,” she said.
“It reminds me of the first time I saw snow falling, it was a Red Shield Appeal Sunday in Lithgow and it was so cold.”
But she might have to wait a few more months to see snow in Glen Innes.
The team will be collecting donations outside Woolworths between May 22 to 28.
The Red Shield Doorknock will be held on the weekend of May 27 and 28.
The appeal officially began in 1965 to encourage communities across the country to dig deep to ensure hope and support is given where it’s needed most through the social welfare and community service program.
The volunteering website can be reached at www.doorknock.salvos.org.au or for more information phone 0448 880 877.
If you would like to get involved contact the local branch on (02) 6732 2542 or visit the salvos website at salvos.org.au.