It's like Christmas Day

As the clock ticks to 6am on Doorknock Sunday, Andrew Hill will leap from his bed and prepare for a day of action and adventure.

“It’s like Christmas Day for me,” he says. “I love it. It probably sounds corny to some, but a day connecting with the community can make all the difference in the lives of people who need us.

“Doorknock Sunday is a day when The Salvation Army collects millions of dollars. My ambition is for the people who give to understand that they are helping to make a difference. They are actually the ones making the difference possible. And I want our people – Salvationists; volunteer collectors – to realise that they are the link through which people in need are assisted.

“It’s not just a day of collecting money. It’s a day – maybe the only day of the year for some – when Salvationists, in particular, get the chance to do something for somebody who needs their support.

“That’s exciting. I want Salvationists and everybody connected with us to know the excitement and sense of satisfaction. It’s a great thing to do.”

It will be cold and dark when Andrew gets out of bed on Doorknock Sunday (31 May). He will wake his children, Caleb, 13, and Liberty, 9. His wife, Kimberly, will already be awake.

He will have a shower, get dressed, have breakfast and, with the family, drive to meet their team from the Hurstville Corps at their annual collection site.

Committed collector

Andrew, now 45, has been collecting pretty much the same Hurstville streets since he was four or five. His first collection was beside his aunty, Noreen Packer.

Ever since, he has collected with his parents, David and Diane Hill, who, incidentally, participated in the first official Red Shield Appeal in 1965.

Andrew will spend about three hours on Hurstville streets before counting his collection at the local corps and having lunch. Then, Andrew will drive a few kilometres to Menai – now his home corps – for a couple of hours collecting at a local shopping centre.

Although a Menai Corps member, he still likes to do a few hours collecting at Hurstville to keep in contact with the people he has been calling on every Doorknock Sunday since he was a little boy.

“I like to keep up the contact,” he says. “It’s valuable. At the same time, it is important that I also support my new corps (Menai).” He will also have collected a few hours at Menai the preceding day (Saturday).

Back to Sunday ... and after his afternoon collection at Menai, he will head for home about 5pm, have another shower and some dinner and then drive to Territorial Headquarters in the city.

There, as Territorial Community Fundraising Director, he will collate results from each division across the territory and compile collection summaries for Salvation Army leadership.

He will get to bed around midnight. It’s quite a commitment. But there is a key – a profound purpose – for it.

A change of attitude

About 10 years ago, while working for The Salvation Army’s job network Employment Plus, Andrew met a man who changed his attitude to a lot of things – among them Red Shield Appeal collecting.

The man had once been a high flyer in the Information Technology field. He had been a successful businessman. But he contracted a serious disease, lost his job and lost his brother. He spent his redundancy on alcohol and gambling. He was basically homeless and penniless when he went to Employment Plus for assistance.

Andrew was his case worker. They became close – so close, they were almost family. The man shared meals with Andrew’s family. “I will never forget the day he bought himself his first suit for a job interview. He was so proud. We were all proud and I want all Salvationists to feel proud,” Andrew says.

His friend died a few years later from his disease.

“And, so, I remember him every time I go doorknocking. It is for him and people in his position that we do this (collecting). The first time I went collecting after meeting my friend, a man came to the door of a very nice three-storey home. He put his hand into his pocket to get some loose change.

“I felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to tell him – because of my friend – that people needed to understand there would be people sleeping on the streets that night - people without hope – and that what he gave could make a huge difference in their lives. I said that I could take a cheque, if that was possible. He went upstairs and got his cheque book. I still take this attitude into collecting. I don’t do it to put pressure on people. I do it because I think it is very important to communicate the need to those who can give. It’s putting the donor at the centre and helping them to see that they can do something amazing for somebody.

“And I want our collectors to stand tall and be proud of the contribution they are making.”

By Bill Simpson

Caption: The Salvation Army’s Territorial Community Fundraising Director, Andrew Hill, and his family will be out in force on Doorknock Sunday. Photo credit: Shairon Paterson