By Molly Magennis
The Salvation Army’s signature fundraising drive The Red Shield Appeal is back on this year, with this year’s appeal focusing on the burgeoning issue of family and domestic violence.
The Red Shield Appeal is run over the months of April, May and June each year, with the national door knock taking place on the last weekend in May, the 28 and 29.
Hobsons Bay Salvation Army Corps Lieutenant Star Conliffe said all funds raised from the appeal will go towards helping local community projects.
“For us in Hobson’s Bay, we’ll be using the money to fund our Christmas hampers and vouchers, so we look after approximately 90 families each year,” she said.
“We also run a free brass music program for one of our local schools, for Altona Meadows Primary School, so we’ll also be using funds raised for that.”
Lieutenant Conliffe said she has seen a substantial increase in the number of people coming to the Hobsons Bay corps for welfare assistance, saying that housing stress is a major factor.
“We’ve seen huge increases, particularly since mid last year, and one of the main culprits we see has been the cost of housing,” she said.
“A lot of people are just in housing stress, which means they’ve got less money to spend on the bills and food and their other living expenses.
“We’re just completely run off our feet every single day that we’re open. Particularly [for] food, there’s an incredible increase in the demand for that.”
Salvation Army volunteers will be stationed at shopping centres, supermarkets and train stations over the next few weeks, with the Hobsons Bay Corps hosting a barbecue at the Altona Bunnings on May 27.
“If [you] see us, please just give us a smile and pop some dollars in a tin because literally every dollar counts, it all adds up, and it makes a really big difference in times like these,” Lieutenant Conliffe said.
