One woman battling to find housing, fleeing a domestic violence situation and with no money next to her name. She's hungry.
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Another who, late on a Sunday, had hit rock bottom and needed help to feed her family. She had nowhere else to turn.
A man, with the bills stacking up, bills he could pay last year that have turned crippling in 2023, taking the massive step of asking for help.
"God bless him, he wanted to pay the money back too," Salvation Army Major Colin Young said.
"But we kept telling him he didn't have to do that. This is how we can help.
"And that's just three examples this week."
It's help the Salvos are finding themselves offering more and more consistently as the year goes on.
Where he and his team of Salvos would maybe see people reach out once a week in years gone by, Major Young says that assistance is now needed daily.
![Tony Rodd, Major Colin Young and guest speaker Dr Bill Mackie. Pictures by Carla Freedman. Tony Rodd, Major Colin Young and guest speaker Dr Bill Mackie. Pictures by Carla Freedman.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GHcbaSNijNeVS4SULWDX8n/fee4ceda-69e4-483f-9927-baebd863b098.jpg/r0_0_1020_628_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He says the increased cost of living pressures facing families at the moment, as well as Orange's worrying domestic violence record, have forced people to find refuge or seek help on a more regular basis.
The Salvation Army launched its Red Shield Appeal in Orange on Wednesday. It's the Salvos annual drive to help ensure they can continue to help those people seeking refuge.
A room full of school students, principals and business men and women were on deck at The Remington for the launch.
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Long-time Salvation Army supporter Frank O'Halloran kicked off the appeal with a donation of $125,000 and from there guest speaker Dr Bill Mackie detailed the "resurrection of a previous dream" that landed him at the Orange Private Hospital at Bloomfield.
An auction then helped raise much needed funds for the appeal.
They're all small steps that help the Salvos do the important work so many rely on. Without it, Major Young has seen first hand, so many "struggle enormously".
He believes its his and his team's job to "stand in the gap" - be there when others can't.
![Bella Webster, Lucian Jordan-Smith from Orange High School. Picture by Carla Freedman. Bella Webster, Lucian Jordan-Smith from Orange High School. Picture by Carla Freedman.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GHcbaSNijNeVS4SULWDX8n/f50ac6d7-94d7-45fc-a803-42b834e44e43.JPG/r0_422_8256_5082_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"We're seeing the same problems coming more frequently," Major Young said.
"Bathurst, Cowra, Parkes, Forbes; we're seeing it everywhere."
"I saw a man the other day and gave him a food parcel, and it was obvious he hadn't eaten in a couple of days.
"He opened the box, and the box of Jatz, he hoed into those because he hadn't eaten.
"People are going without and ... they're desperate and we're able to help people there."
Long-time Salvation Army supporter and lunch emcee Tony Rodd said the best way people can help the Salvos is to donate, or volunteer to become a door-knocker.
"This has grown to now become a great event. Door knocking is important and that help is great too, and it's great to haver the school captains from across Orange to help out," he said.
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