Airdate: The Salvation Army: Red Shield Appeal

On Sunday Seven will screen The Salvation Army: Red Shield Appeal.

The inaugural special comes after four successful Christmas specials and coincides with The Salvation Army’s 60th anniversary of the Red Shield Appeal.

Singer Samantha Jade and journalist Joe Hildebrand host, visiting Salvos centres which assist with homelessness, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, youth services and more.

Samantha Jade said, “I don’t know how [The Salvos] do it… hearing the stories from the people [who have been helped], also hearing stories from the people who are helping. Every single donation, every cent, every dollar does count.”

“And it’s not just a bit of money and a warm, fuzzy feeling after you pop it in the tin. That money becomes someone who’s whole again, that money becomes someone who can smile again,” Joe Hildebrand added.

Craig from The Salvation Army’s men’s homelessness refuge, Foster House, said, “I’d find myself in jail and find myself living on the streets…I came to Foster House out of prison and it was one place where people were kind to me. And that’s what I try to bring to my job every day.”

Owen, an ex-resident of The Salvos Oasis youth centre, said, “I met the Salvos when I was 13. That’s when I first became homeless. Living on the streets, I felt alone, I felt lost. Everything I knew was gone. And I had no direction, had no purpose… I was in a really dark place. And when I met the Salvos was sort of like a light in the darkness… the Salvos stood next to me like a family.”

The Red Shield Appeal this year is aiming to raise $38 million to support Australians doing it tough. Each year, through the generosity of the Australian public through the Red Shield Appeal, The Salvation Army is able to provide*:

– Assistance to one person every 17 seconds
– More than 1.67 million sessions of care to over 250,000 people in need
– Over 1.2 million bed nights to people who need accommodation
– More than 1.63 million meals to people who access our homelessness services.

*The Salvation Army Annual Report 2023

Sunday May 5 at 1.00pm on Seven.

Donations: salvationarmy.org.au or calling 13 SALVOS or at any Salvos Store.