Jaidyn Kennedy
The Salvation Army’s Wyndham City-Werribee Corps is encouraging the community to dig deep and donate to this year’s Red Shield Appeal.
The appeal is now in its 61st year and the Salvos will be door-knocking across Wyndham in April and May as they join the national push to raise $38 million.
Central to the appeal is the fact that all funds raised will go directly back to the local community in which they were raised.
Major Catherine Abrams said the event is an important fixture on the calendar and will enable the corps to keep running vital programs.
“I guess probably it’s as important as it always has been with the cost of living, and particularly for Friday nights where we have our community outreach service,” she said.
Much of the support will go directly to helping those who don’t have a place to call home this winter.
“A lot of the money will go directly towards emergency relief, which will help people who might be sleeping rough and then referring to other agencies such as our Doorways Program,” Ms Abram said.
Money into the Doorways Program will allow the Salvos to assist Wyndham residents trying to re-establish their lives through guidance and support from a case worker.
“It [the assistance] can be anything from helping them with laundry or being able to link them in with our case workers,” she said.
She also wants the community to know that help can be offered in many forms.
“Sometimes people want to know how they can help and they may be cash poor, but they can volunteer their time,” she said.
“Volunteering time is just a great way of building connections with the community, because no one goes out and says ‘I aim to be homeless’.”
Collecting donations at shopping centres, online fundraisers and organising events at schools, sporting events or workplaces are other ways you can help out.
Ms Abram said the stories of those they help are diverse.
“They often come from difficult situations like addiction, domestic violence.
“We are so multicultural, we see so many people coming through our doors where English could be their third or fourth language.”
