Almost every Saturday night for 21 years, he would take his cap and tin and stop at all of the pubs to raise money for the Salvation Army.

"I used to start at Marong, then make my way through to Wedderburn stopping at Inglewood and Bridgewater, and Korong Vale," he said.

"If the Salvos bloke is there, a lot of people would give half of what they had on them, or more."

During his years of service, Eddie gained a unique view of the hardship faced by those on the land in Loddon Shire.

Using the many friends and acquaintances he met during his travels, he became the co-ordinator of the Red Shield Appeal in the shire for 25 years.

"It was mainly through service clubs, local fire brigades, footy clubs - where ever you could get a group of people together," Eddie said.

He started as a youth leader and was one of the instigators of Bendigo's first welfare shops.

The generosity of people living in the towns was always overwhelming for the volunteers.

For the remainder of the year, Eddie would mainly set up in front of supermarkets throughout the region to try and raise money.

In many ways, the method of fundraising has remained unchanged since he first became involved in the Army in the 1950s, helping to collect for the Self Denial Appeal, as it was known then.

A lot of the issues facing families had also remained, and in some cases, become worse in the 21st century.

"These days it's needed more than ever before, there are more and more people relying on the services of the Army," Eddie said.

"It will probably just become more in the future too."

***

His story is one of many in Bendigo.

Salvation Army volunteers support the disadvantaged and those at risk in a number of ways in the community.

From providing free breakfasts at Eaglehawk Primary School to setting up the Chill Out van near the city's nightclub strip, many in Bendigo find themselves turning to the Salvos.

They offer the Fair Ground program for children to be transferred between parents, the L2P program to help young people get their driver's licence and court chaplaincy for those in immediate legal stress.

Yet their most significant support comes in their management of drug and alcohol services.

In the 12 months to May, 80 people attended the six week residential rehabilitation program in Bendigo.

The Salvation Army spent $156,000 on the drug and alcohol program in 12 months.

Salvation Army programme secretary Major Ric Ellis said demand is growing.

"We've seen a real growth in demand for these services, particularly around people struggling with ice and methamphetamine use," he said.

"But alcohol is still the major issue."

***

Major Ellis leaves the room to make a photocopy, then comes back minutes later with two pieces of paper in hand.

A letter had just been handed in to the Salvation Army office in Bendigo.

It reads:

"Just a quick note to you ladies for organising all that food for me on Friday afternoon. It has come in really handy so far and I made a great spaghetti that night, with enough for tonight as well."

The letter tells a familiar tale in Bendigo.

The Salvation Army has reported an increase in the number of people seeking emergency relief in northern Victoria, just to make it day-to-day.

With a 16 per cent decrease in federal funding starting this year, the generosity of the Bendigo community has never been needed more.

The Red Shield Appeal no longer just supplements the work of the Salvation Army, it has become crucial to maintaining its current level of service.

This year, as the Salvation Army celebrates its 50th Red Shield Appeal, it wants to highlight the growing need for emergency support, the challenges facing individuals and families, and the need to keep hope.

***

The emerging class of the "working poor" is one of the major drivers of disadvantage since the turn of the century, Salvation Army Bendigo Captain Craig Wood says.

He said families and individuals in Bendigo - and the wider region - were feeling the squeeze from a number of different angles.

"There's a very high instance of sole parents on government pensions. Newstart now comes into effect when your youngest child turns eight, so that's making it harder for some people," he said.

"The isolation and cost of living in the country is more than in the city in a lot of ways. Being socially connected costs more, things like health services cost a lot more too."

In the Northern Victoria region - extending from Mildura to the north east, and down to Bendigo - 6746 people presented for help from the Salvation Army in 2014.

Of these, 72 per cent had children. In total, 46 per cent of people were single parents and 61 per cent were female.

To counter this, the federal government is making the Salvation Army take on a more "case management" role, helping people navigate financial stress.

Major Ellis said changes to funding models made the Red Shield Appeal a vital part of funding their services.

"We've usually spent our budget by March," he said.

"We're now heavily reliant on the community to donate through the Red Shield Appeal."

 Red Shield Appeal doorknocking is on May 30 and 31, and donations throughout the year can be made at www.salvos.org.au.