Red Shield

[ChristInAction]

Did everyone have a good weekend of collection?
Firstly should I ask if it was just in australia?

If people dont know its when we stand at intersections, shopping centres (malls) & go door knocking to raise money for the work the salvation army does across australia.

For me & all of my church it was a blessed weekend. The last few years its been wet & cold. As tradition it was the same in cold but we've been having beautiful rain for the days leading up (thank God b'coz we need it so bad! ), then none on saturday & sunday & its started again this week!
Our aria of 3 intersetions, 3 spots at eastland (mall near our corp), a sausage sizzle at bunnings & door knocking has toped last years fundraising with over 40,000 Australian dollars raised, (just in ringwood!)

Please pray that this money is used responsibly & to benifit everyone that needs it. Also pray that everyone that gave even a few cents is truely blessed as EVERY dollar helps.


Let me know how you guys went if you did it.

 

[GodsoldierClintus]

I think as a church we collected around $5000. Pretty awesome! I'm pretty sure it's an Australian only thing. I got exactly $100 plus those two free Big Macs

 

[BoazB]

Unfortunately in this country, we are no longer allowed to collect. The reason is that there has been so much fraud - fake salvationists who go collecting (for themselves and not for The Salvation Army.

They get away with this because of the high number of people who are poor, the uniform has been simplified, and so the only item at times that identify one as salvo, are the tabs on the shoulder. Illegal collecting has made things difficult.

I have actually seen a "Wanted" poster at THQ with the picture of some guy in uniform glaring at the camera, with the words, "Have you seen this person, please report to Major..."

Another rumor we heard was that an officer felt sorry for his neighbour who was truggling, so he loaned him his uniform to go collecting. Another case, there was a whople band that played at a swanky shopping centre - carolling in June! The shop management complained, and beforethe band could be identified, they dissappeared into thin air.

With many stories like this, The Salvation Army put a hold on all collecting, announcing in the papers that if people wanted to donate, they had to put it direct into bank account of the Army. THQ said they would rethink the situation later... we are still waiting and haven't collected in the last 5 years.

 

[GodsoldierClintus]

Boazb, that a sad situation...

Not all of the people that collect in Australia are even proper soldiers (including myself, although I will be one by the end of the year hopefully) We just seem to have a credibility here, which I hope will never be abused.

 

[ChristInAction]

Unfortunately in this country, we are no longer allowed to collect. The reason is that there has been so much fraud - fake salvationists who go collecting (for themselves and not for The Salvation Army.

They get away with this because of the high number of people who are poor, the uniform has been simplified, and so the only item at times that identify one as salvo, are the tabs on the shoulder. Illegal collecting has made things difficult.

I have actually seen a "Wanted" poster at THQ with the picture of some guy in uniform glaring at the camera, with the words, "Have you seen this person, please report to Major..."

Another rumor we heard was that an officer felt sorry for his neighbour who was truggling, so he loaned him his uniform to go collecting. Another case, there was a whople band that played at a swanky shopping centre - carolling in June! The shop management complained, and beforethe band could be identified, they dissappeared into thin air.

With many stories like this, The Salvation Army put a hold on all collecting, announcing in the papers that if people wanted to donate, they had to put it direct into bank account of the Army. THQ said they would rethink the situation later... we are still waiting and haven't collected in the last 5 years.

That sucks so bad! Aw, I'll be praying for your countey.

Yea, we get some frawds out here but not too many.
I'm not a soldior so I dont have a uniform but we get bags with salvo stuff printed on them & salvo lenyards, most people who dont have a uniform wear something of the salvation army anyway.
Anyone that doesnt want to give to us at the door, always knows that they can give derectly.

I hope & pray that people will regain their trust for you so you may do it again.

 

[BoazB]

That sucks so bad! Aw, I'll be praying for your countey.

Yea, we get some frawds out here but not too many.
I'm not a soldior so I dont have a uniform but we get bags with salvo stuff printed on them & salvo lenyards, most people who dont have a uniform wear something of the salvation army anyway.
Anyone that doesnt want to give to us at the door, always knows that they can give derectly.

I hope & pray that people will regain their trust for you so you may do it again.

Thanks CIA and Clintus. In all of this, the Lord has still shown His hand. Although it is bad what people do, there are some situations that make one laugh:
My dad was collecting at a block of flats (apartments) one year, and each door he got to, they said, "O but you people have just been." So my dad went faster on his rounds till he caught up with the guy.

The guy had a huge Afro hairstyle and had a cigar clenched in his teeth, and turned to my dad, who was in full uniform and asked him, "Where can I get a cap like that?"

 

[TheDag]

I had a good day of collecting on Saturday (couldn't help sunday because I was working. I had some great conversations with people while collecting. One was with a lady who doesn't get out much anymore and I spoke to her for about half an hour. I also had one guy who started going on about how many different groups come collecting. I told him if he didn't want to give or couldn't afford to that was not a problem he didn't have to. He then started pulling out receipts from all these other groups he had donated to. I was trying to think of a nice way to say I'm going now when he opened the door and gave me a dollar.

 

[GodsoldierClintus]

This woman I spoke to couldn't walk properly, she was struggling really bad just getting up, all legs were shaking all the way. I wanted to tell her I'd rather she just sat down, but she took ages and ages and came back with two dollars.

I just felt so bad.

 

[ChristInAction]

I had a few of those too. there was this little old lady that said, "I was wondering when you guys were coming" & she really wanted to give. It was hard for her to walk & she went around her house about 10 times before she found her wallet.

Its sometimes so nice to see that old saying 'never judge a book by its cover' I went to a few doors with big marcho guys (honistly I just wanted to get as far away from that house as posible) & they were really nice. They had already given but still gave more.

 

[GodsoldierClintus]

I also interrupted a young lady who couldn't have been much older than me in her sleep. I believe that was her PJ's she was in when I said "Hello I'm from the Salvation Army...would you like to make a donation for our Red Shield Appeal?

I love the houses that seem to have multiple fencing and gates and dogs and security which pretty much says, we don't like people, go away. I understand why it's there but it seemed pretty full on to me.

 

[BoazB]

This might be a good chance for some Red Shield Funnies. Here are two:

One guy from my home corps goes up flights of stairs to the top floor and knocks on the door. A little old lady answers the door. She sees him and says, "I'm so glad you've. Won't you do me a favour and buy me a newspaper from the shop downstairs? Here is the money"

So, "as unto the Lord", he goes all the way down the stairs, buy the newspaper, and makes his way back to the top floor. Her response, "Thank you. You can keep the change". and closes the door.

The same guy goes to the top floor of a block of flats in the same area. This time the South Easter is howling away, and he holds onto his bag with one hand, while holding on for dear life onto the railing. Having made it to the door, he lets go of the railing so that he can ring the doorbell. By the time this lady answered the door, he was in a seated position on the ground, having been blown there by the wind.

 

[BoazB]

Have any of you guys ever had someone shout from behind the closed door, "There's no one at home"?

My mother had that once. She asked in reply, "Well, then who are you???"

 

[BoazB]

Once, standing outside a shopping centre, a guy was struggling with a handful of change. South Africa had just brought out the then new 5 Rand coin. He was trying to get a small one Rand coin in, and instead the Lord decided that he should be more genrous - the 5 Rand coin slipped into the tin. The words that he muttered after that were less than charitable, and his smile was gone. From white, his face had gone to a dark red .

 

[ChristInAction]

yea, I was a this really nice block of units the 1st year I collected (05') & one of the houses you could hear stuff going on inside. They called out "We're not home" but I stood there for 10minurtes just to annoy them & left a envalope for them to donate when they 'got home'.

 

[GodsoldierClintus]

It's just stupid to say that you're not home. Why don't they just say they don't want to donate instead of lying?

People...

 

[BoazB]

yea, I was a this really nice block of units the 1st year I collected (05') & one of the houses you could hear stuff going on inside. They called out "We're not home" but I stood there for 10minurtes just to annoy them & left a envalope for them to donate when they 'got home'.

 

[ChristInAction]

Total Amount Raised is in!
In the ringwoods devistion that our corp helps & over sees we collected
$54,297.75

YAY! how good is that?
& I got my little resepits on how much I raised & I collected $211- in 2 neghbourehoods & a hours at our shopping centre.

Praise God. His moving the the salvation Army!

 

[BoazB]

Total Amount Raised is in!
In the ringwoods devistion that our corp helps & over sees we collected
$54,297.75

YAY! how good is that?
& I got my little resepits on how much I raised & I collected $211- in 2 neghbourehoods & a hours at our shopping centre.

Praise God. His moving the the salvation Army!

 

[Timyone]

i did a saturday of it where i was just office work and didnt do any thing then on sunday they made me collect