Red Shield Appeal 2014: More than $79.9 million donated to assist Australians in need

The Australian community has once again shown its generosity and support for Australians in need through their donations to the Red Shield Appeal, which has this year raised over $79.9 million nationally.

Salvation Army spokesperson, Major Bruce Harmer, says many individuals and families in communities across Australia are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet and certainly the need has never been greater.

“We are increasingly seeing people who in the past would have donated to charity now becoming the recipients of it,” Major Harmer said.

“Our own research shows that many of these individuals and families are going without the basics in life, the things which most people take for granted.”

The Economic and Social Impact Survey (ESIS), a nationwide survey of 2,500 Salvation Army clients, reveals a harrowing snapshot of the realities of daily life for those living on the margins, showing that:

• 1 in 4 unable to afford a substantial meal at least once a day;
• 28% have had to live without heating in at least one room in the house throughout winter;
• 38% of clients do not have regular social contact with people, leading to a feeling of isolation and loneliness;
• 47% reporting they are unable to find someone to help them when needed; and
• 91% of respondents have limited or no savings for emergencies.

Major Harmer says without the support of the Australian community, The Salvation Army would not be able to provide the much needed assistance to those who are in need through our 297 community service centres nationally.

“On behalf of The Salvation Army, I would like to thank the Australian people, who through their generosity have provided hope to more than a million Australians who will do it tough in the year ahead,” he said.

“Despite their difficulties many Salvation Army clients want to be able to provide a more sustained and adequate standard of living for themselves and their children which is why the Red Shield Appeal is so important.”

In addition to the generous donations in support of the Red Shield Appeal, The Salvation Army also received donations totalling $12.6 million for disaster relief appeals for people affected by natural disasters, such as the NSW and Tasmanian bushfires.