Salvation Army’s Maj Brendan Nottle fronts agency’s Red Shield Appeal in brave new digital world
Salvation Army stalwart Major Brendan Nottle is the national face of the 2020 Red Shield Appeal. But he won’t be rattling tins to raise funds this year.
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Salvation Army stalwart Major Brendan Nottle has done a lot of Red Shield appeals in his time, but this year’s is different.
Coronavirus means there will be no doorknocking or rattling of tins on city streets – people will need to donate digitally to the Salvos key fundraising drive.
Maj Nottle, who heads the Project 614 homelessness service in Bourke St, is also the national face of the 2020 Red Shield Appeal involving 300 Salvos communities.
“As we are not able to knock on your door and shake our tins as we have for decades, we will be shaking the virtual tin and asking generous Melburnians to head online to make their donations,” he said.
The appeal began as new research showed that demand for the project’s emergency relief services had tripled.
The service that typically helped 30 people daily but was now dealing with more than 90.
“We had to move fast, since the people we assist are in a high-risk category, so it truly was a matter of life or death.’’ Major Nottle said.
“As the pandemic domino effect continues to cripple businesses and decimate people’s livelihoods, please help us to provide shelter, food, clothing, support and comfort to so many of our fellow Australians doing it tough.”
Go to digitaldoorknock.salvationarmy.org.au to donate or organise your own fundraising campaign during May and June.
Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne Arron Wood’s Red Shield Appeal Digital Doorknock Campaign raised $3500 within hours of being created last week, and his target for the campaign is $25,000.
Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses, which have already raised more than $75,000 for Project 614, are donating $1 from each sale of dedicated Red Shield Appeal Shortbread Jam Biscuits.
The 2019 local campaign saw 40,000 Australians volunteer to raise $4 million.