BELLARINE Salvation Army Captain Peter Hobbs is urging Ocean Grove residents to open their hearts and wallets for the Red Shield Appeal this weekend.
Peter said the money raised is vital for Salvos programs for the homeless and those in need.
“There are people sleeping in their cars, addicted to ice and struggling with family violence,” he said.
Last year Bellarine residents raised $30,000 for the homeless during the appeal, contributing to the $150,000 Geelong total.
“Everyone is extremely generous here,” Peter said.
The Bellarine Salvos are hoping for a similar total this year.
A lot will depend on the weekend weather, which Peter said may affect the Peninsula’s main collection point at the Melaluka Road and Bellarine Highway intersection in Leopold.
“I think we would make a lot more in the Bellarine if people weren’t away for the winter,” he said.
Peter has organised for 90 people to doorknock on the Bellarine, but it might be as many as a couple of hundred after the Salvos tele-recruiting campaign.
He said people can also donate at local McDonalds and Woolworths outlets.
