And the organisation urges people not to put rubbish in the bins provided for donations around town, particularly not coffee which contaminates the blankets or clothes meant for those who need them.

Major Amanda Choy-Show of the Salvos in Glen Innes said: “There is a real need, with elderly people, parents of young children who just don’t have the money to buy blankets.”

She said the Salvation Army helped from ten to 15 families a week in Glen Innes.

The clothes are collected from the bins by members of the Ulysses Motorbike Club – the Celtic Cruisers.

The bins are at the newsagents in Emmaville, Foodworks in Deepwater, Woolworths and Coles in Glen Innes, the Graydon's Amcal chemist on Grey Street in Glen Innes and outside Carelles and Home Living.

Apart from this appeal, the Salvation Army offers a host of other services for people in financial difficulty, like arranging interest free loans to pay off overpowering debt.

Major Choy-Show said last year: “We help with food, accommodation, clothing, support throughout hard times and we refer people to get help with their finances through financial counselling.”

They also step in when emergency strikes.

“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.”

Major Choy-Show arrived from Gimpie in Queensland a year ago. She said as the winter progressed: “I think this is definitely the coldest place I’ve worked.”

“It reminds me of the first time I saw snow falling. It was a (Salvation Army) Red Shield Appeal Sunday in Lithgow and it was so cold.”

Warmth is the key – with blankets in the bins this year.