Red Shield Appeal 2015

2 June 2015

The Salvation Army has thanked Australians for their generosity towards the 2015 Red Shield Appeal Doorknock, with $4,882,039 being raised nationally this weekend (interim Sunday evening tally).

Salvation Army spokesperson, Major Bruce Harmer said: “We are very encouraged by these early results. There are still many regions where results are not finalised and we will continue to have official volunteer collectors out, and static collection points happening in the week ahead.

“We know many Australians are struggling to make ends meet and are having to go without essential items in life in order to get by. Data released by The Salvation Army in the last week showed that of the 2,400 clients surveyed, the average household had just under $18 a day to live off after accommodation expenses. Most of those surveyed indicated they had no savings in case of an emergency and many were unable to pay for basic medical and dental care.

“It is to meet these and many other needs faced by everyday Australians that The Salvation Army urgently needs public support to make this year’s Red Shield Appeal a success,” said Major Harmer.

“We thank Australians for their tremendous generosity towards The Salvation Army and encourage those who would still like to give to please send in their donations. There are still four weeks available for donations to this year’s appeal. We also thank the many thousands of volunteers who assisted us this weekend in raising these vital funds. In particular, the number of young people who chose to give a few hours of their time and volunteer was a great encouragement,” said Major Harmer.

“We would also like to thank our corporate supporters. Westpac has supported The Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal for the past 45 years, with more than 1,000 employees and over 100 branches participating in the Doorknock weekend each year. JLL, Bunnings and Woolworths Ltd are also great supporters of the Doorknock,” Major Harmer said. 

RESULTS BY STATE

Donations can still be made to the Red Shield Appeal by calling 13 SALVOS (13 72 58); by visiting salvos.org.au or any Westpac Bank branch, or by posting a cheque to Reply Paid 87088 Silverwater NSW 2128.

The $9.5 million Doorknock goal is part of an overall Red Shield Appeal target of $74 million.