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 Wednesday, November 1 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.

“’Love Beyond’ is a theme that was carried over from last Christmas as we ask the Michigan City community to ‘love beyond’ circumstances,” said Major Becky Simmons who oversees The Salvation Army of Michigan City, along with her husband, Major Dale 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,” she 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 618 local families, and Simmons said she expects that number to be higher this year, as many households are continuing to struggle due to inflation in the post-pandemic economy.

“Over the past year, the number of households seeking assistance has continued to increase due to the rising costs 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 $230,000 through the Christmas campaign. These funds will help provide food and toys to hundreds of local families during the holidays, and 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 and operators of local McDonald’s restaurants - will donate proceeds from coffee sales at the 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 each 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 WEMF radio.

Lead campaign sponsor for The Salvation Army campaign this year is B&E Marine. Other sponsors include GAF, NIPSCO, General Insurance Services, and Harbour Trust & Investment Management Company.

The Salvation Army is seeking volunteer bellringers to help meet the need this season. Kettle season will officially begin on November 3 and continue through December 23. 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.