Nigel MacDonald says that, if he had knocked on your door 20 years ago, he would probably have been trying to steal your wallet.
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But if you find the Salvation Army captain standing on your doormat later this month, his motive will be to raise money for the organisation that turned his life around.
"As a 22-year-old, I had issues with drug addiction and gambling that pretty much ruined my life," Mr MacDonald said. "I'd pushed my family away, I had no support networks around me, I pretty much had the clothes on my back. In my mind, I was either headed for jail or death."
Then living on the streets of Sydney's Kings Cross, it was thanks to his mother and the Salvation Army that "bit by bit, piece by piece" he was able to claw back his life from addiction.
"Now 20 years later, I've got a family of my own," he said. "I love life and I'm in such a different place to where I was. I'm able to give back and help those in need now and I love it."
Mr MacDonald is hoping to raise $1.6 million in the ACT and southern NSW through the Salvation Army's annual Red Shield Appeal.
He said more people than ever are reaching out to the Salvos for help, many of them parents who, through illness or unemployment, find they can no longer keep their family afloat.
"There's not as much disposable money for people [due to the rising cost of living] so, when times are tough, they don't have that little pool of money that's for a rainy day," Mr MacDonald said. "They have no other choice than to draw on other people who are around and that's why we're here."
The Salvos also run a number of programs locally that help people address addiction, homelessness and financial distress.
Without the Red Shield Appeal, Mr MacDonald said it would be impossible to provide the breadth of programs they offered.
"If the Red Shield Appeal didn't happen and people in our community didn't support it, we would have to close down some of our programs, that's for sure," Mr MacDonald said.
While the door-knock appeal is vital to keep their doors open, it also provides the Salvos with a way to connect with the Canberra community.
"I've seen and heard many stories when you knock on someone's door and it's timely for them because they're just needing someone to talk to," Mr MacDonald said.
"A lot of people sadly are lonely and, after that interaction, we can hopefully take that further, if that's what that person needs."
The Red Shield Appeal Doorknock is on May 28 and 29. To donate or to find out how you can register as a volunteer, head to: https://salvos.org.au/donate
