Running since 1965, the Red Shield Appeal is now in its 61st year and is recognised as Australia’s largest and longest-running fundraiser. Over the decades, it has become a key part of the Salvos’ efforts to support Australians facing hardship.
In the Salvation Army’s recent survey of more than 16,000 Australians, 68.5 per cent of Victorian respondents identified housing affordability and homelessness as their top concern, with mental health following at 60.6 per cent.
“The last few years have been incredibly tough for the hardest hit in our community, and for many that shows no sign of slowing down,” the Salvation Army’s Major Warren Elliot said.
“At the Salvos we are privileged to support those in our area experiencing hardship, but we cannot do this without the ongoing and loyal support of the community.”
This year, the national target is to raise $38 million to fund programs that assist people experiencing family and domestic violence, youth crises and drug and alcohol addiction.
Locally, the focus will be on housing affordability, homelessness and mental health services — issues that remain high on the agenda for the region.
The Red Shield Appeal will culminate with Red Shield Weekend on May 24 and 25, but there are plenty of ways to get involved throughout the month. Whether it’s collecting at shopping centres, fundraising online, or organising a collection at your school, workplace, or sporting event, every effort counts.
In Shepparton, Mr Smallacombe, who has been involved with the Salvation Army since the age of 11, shared the different ways locals could get behind the cause:
“We’ve got a small team of volunteers — and we are looking for more volunteers — who will collect at supermarkets,” he said.
“One (collection will take place) in Aldi/Woolworths in Mooroopna and (the other) one in Aldi Shepparton.
“Also looking to do an intersection — doing some collecting on (the corner of) Wyndham St and Balaclava Rd.
“We are looking for volunteers to help us do that.
“As long as we can get the numbers, we will be doing that — we need to get enough to do this safely.
“People can also donate and share the link on their socials.
“That would be wonderful if (people) could help.
“The Salvation Army could not do a fraction of what we do without the help of volunteers and the Red Shield Appeal is a particular focus where people allow us to do so much more than we would do ourselves.”
Last year, the Salvos delivered more than 1.76 million sessions of care across Australia, including over 1.1 million nights of accommodation and more than 1.5 million meals for people experiencing homelessness.
To find out more about how to donate or volunteer, visit the Salvation Army’s website or call 13 SALVOS.
