By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
PAKENHAM Salvation Army is encouraging people to give generously during the Red Shield Appeal on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May.
Over the weekend Pakenham Salvation Army will set up several static collection points throughout Pakenham. Donations will be taken by volunteers stationed at Bunnings Warehouse, Central Marketplace, Heritage Springs Shopping Centre and Pakenham railway station.
Pakenham Salvation Army Lieutenant Sonia Jeffrey said doorknocking in the area would also be undertaken by people who are recruited separately from the Salvos, but who want to volunteer their service for the Red Shield Appeal.
“We will have people not connected to the Salvos that want to collect money in their street,” Ms Jeffrey said.
“We need to say thank you to those people, they’re willingness to say ‘Yes, we’ll collect for the Salvos’”.
Last year, the Pakenham Salvation Army raised $10,000 for the Red Shield Appeal and is aiming to raise beyond that amount this year.
“Our target is probably $11,000 to 12,000, including doorknocking,” Sonia said.
The Red Shield Appeal is one of the many fund-raising activities the Pakenham Salvation Army engages in throughout the year. In addition to its many local barbecues and Christmas wrapping services, the Pakenham Salvos visit the local football, racecourse and pubs, spreading awareness of their cause and seeking donations for those less privileged.
“People will see us around, and at Christmas time we did present wrapping and raised $5000,” Ms Jeffrey said.
“There’s plenty of generosity around.”
Through volunteering within the local community and getting to know many people in it, Ms Jeffrey has seen first-hand the issues that are affecting residents in Pakenham such as a lack of work in the area and the threat of unemployment.
“There are people trying to get a job, but they can only get casual work in Pakenham and for anything else they need to travel far away,” she said.
The Salvation Army’s Dr Bruce Redman emphasised that the organisation was there for people, not just in Pakenham, whose lives took a turn for the worse.
“People can reach a point where they feel everything is out of control,” Dr Redman said.
“Through our work, we’ve seen how you can turn lives around and rebuild people and help them find a clear sense of purpose.”
Ms Jeffrey and the Pakenham Salvation Army have certainly turned lives around within the community and will continue to turn around many more come this weekend’s Red Shield Appeal.
