The Salvation Army of Michigan City is ready to kick off another Red Kettle season, with a Christmas Campaign theme of “Love Beyond Christmas.” The annual Red Kettle Kick Off will take place on Tuesday, November 12 at McDonald’s Restaurant, 3507 Franklin Street from 7am to 10am with a short program at 8am. The public is invited to stop by and join in the festivities marking the official start of the Red Kettle season.

“We continue our theme of ‘Love Beyond’ this Christmas as we ask the Michigan City community to ‘love beyond’ circumstances,” said Major Dale Simmons who oversees The Salvation Army of Michigan City, along with his wife, Major Becky Simmons. “This Christmas, and throughout the year, we believe in loving beyond inflation, evictions, hunger, poverty, and other crises that affect residents here in Michigan City,” he said. “We believe in meeting people where they are, meeting their basic needs of food, warmth, clothing, and other necessities, and then providing additional services to help move them to a more stable place in life.”

Last year, The Salvation Army provided holiday assistance to 1,369 local children, and Simmons said he expects that number to be higher this year, as many households are continuing to struggle in the post-pandemic economy. “Over the past year, the number of households seeking assistance has continued to increase due to the high cost of groceries, rent, and utilities,” Simmons said. “We stand ready to meet their needs, but at the same time we are also facing increased costs of food and operating expenses so we are hopeful that our friends and partners in the community can help meet our goal again this Christmas.”

The Salvation Army has set a goal to raise $235,000 through the Christmas campaign. These funds will help provide food and toys to hundreds of local families during the holidays, and will also support year-round services including a food pantry, utility assistance, diaper bank, free clothing closet, summer camp, case management, and more.

As is tradition, the Lubeznik family – owners of local McDonald’s restaurants – will donate proceeds from coffee sales at all three Michigan City McDonald’s locations during the Red Kettle Kick Off to The Salvation Army to support this campaign. “We are so grateful for the Lubeznik family and their generosity to the community,” Simmons said. “They host this event every year, and they are so supportive of our mission to serve those in the most need.”

The Red Kettle Kick Off will feature a “celebrity” coffee pour, a children’s choir, and a live broadcast with WEFM radio. Leading the campaign this year will be Christmas Chair Mike Hackett and the team from Harbour Trust & Investment Management Company. Sponsoring the Christmas Campaign this year are lead sponsor B&E Marine; as well as GAF, NIPSCO, Centier Bank, Restore Dental Arts, Michiana Insurance, Members Advantage Credit Union and Horizon Bank. Media sponsors include WIMS, WEFM, the Beacher, and the Herald-Dispatch.

The Salvation Army is seeking volunteer bellringers to help meet the need this season. Kettle season officially begins on November 8 and continues through December 24. Volunteers can ring a bell any time Monday through Saturday between 10am and 7pm at several locations throughout Michigan City by signing up online at www.RegisterToRing.com, or by calling The Salvation Army at (219) 874-6885 ext. 1003.