THE Salvation Army annual Red Shield Appeal doorknock weekend is now in its 50th year and Lynn McComb has volunteered for all of them.
Mrs McComb, 59, has doorknocked for the Red Shield Appeal every year since it started in 1967.
"I have been part of the Salvos since I was a baby and I would have worked on the first Red Shield with Mum and Dad," she said.
Mrs McComb is co-ordinating more than 300 Red Shield volunteers in the Menai area who will doorknock an estimated 30,000 homes next weekend.
"As the generations get younger with the people we visit, we find the Salvos are known for different things," she said.
"We were originally known for being in the trenches with the Diggers. Now we are known for our social justice work, such as working in drug and alcohol counselling.
"Fortunately, we are lucky in that the integrity of the Salvation Army hasn't been tarnished."
Cronulla's Kevin Bryant, 60, has been a full-time volunteer with the Salvos for the past six years.
"I was made redundant at Darrell Lea after working there 16 years.
"I thought I'd volunteer for the Salvos. God's my boss now and the Salvos is the place I come to work."
Miranda Salvation Army's Lieutenant Brad McIver is co-ordinating up to 2000 volunteers to door- knock an estimated 65,000 homes over the weekend. But he said more volunteers are needed to help with the Salvos' main fundraiser of the year on May 30-31.
The Salvation Army's Red Shield appeal aims to raise $74 million nationally and $5.7 million in Sydney's greater west.
This target equates to $3 from each of us and will help the Salvos provide 50,000 meals, 3700 food vouchers and more than 5500 food parcels every week to people in need.
■ Register: salvos.org.au
