Last Sunday the doorknock appeal collected $25,475, with a further $2329 coming in during Monday.

“It’s on a par, maybe a little better than at the same time last year,” said Major Gary Craig from the Salvation Army in Nowra.

Money continued coming in all week, with further collections this coming weekend expected to push the tally up towards $40,000.

Major Craig was expecting a few people to continue collecting in Sussex Inlet and further south in the next few days, while he would probably collect some more in North Nowra, to finish off assigned areas.

“We probably achieved about a 50 per cent coverage of our area of the Shoalhaven,” he said as he thanked all the collectors who took part.

Where he had no collectors he had people sit out the front of key places in towns such as outside newsagents, carrying out passive collections which “went pretty well”.

As the collection tally pushes up, donation tins purchased by about 60 local businesses, which had been gathering money in recent weeks, are helping it.

“The tins will have a big impact on the tally,” Major Craig said.

Anyone who was not approached over the weekend is urged to use one of the Salvation Army envelopes delivered to most homes to make a donation.

Donations can also be dropped in at the Salvation Army Family Store, behind Pacific Furniture on the Princes Highway, South Nowra.