Petoskey Salvation Army sets a $140,000 Red Kettle goal, with bell ringing Nov. 9 to Dec. 24 after a 2025 shortfall

PETOSKEY, Mich. — The Salvation Army of Petoskey is asking Northern Michigan for $140,000 in this year’s Red Kettle Campaign, with bell ringers set to start Monday, Nov. 9, at kettles across Emmet, Charlevoix and Antrim counties and keep going through Christmas Eve.

The corps opened the season Tuesday, Oct. 27, with a Red Kettle kickoff sponsorship luncheon at its building at 2350 Mitchell Park Drive, where it asked businesses and other groups to sponsor kettle locations. In the event listing, the corps called the goal “a target driven by the growing needs of local individuals and families” and said rising costs for housing, utilities and groceries continue to strain hardworking households.

Sponsors who pledged by the luncheon are to be named in the campaign’s press release, but kettle sponsorships stay open through the whole bell-ringing season, the listing says.

Why this year’s number matters. The 2026 goal is a little lower than the last two. The corps aimed for $145,000 in 2024, according to its kickoff announcement that year, and for $141,000 in 2025. In mid-January the corps said it was still $15,000 short of the 2025 goal and kept taking donations through the end of that month, Harbor Light News reported. In June, as the corps marked its 125th anniversary, Harbor Light News reported that it faced record-high community need alongside the lowest donation levels it had seen in five years.

Where the money goes. The corps says money raised in the holiday season goes back into the three-county area through year-round help, including its food pantry, community meals, senior programs and emergency financial assistance. Its appeal after the 2025 campaign said the dollars pay for food, heat, electricity and rent help for struggling families. “Your gifts keep families fed, homes warm, and lights on. Every dollar makes a difference,” Jonathan Meyer, chair of the 2025 campaign, said in that appeal.

How to help. Ringing a bell for a couple of hours is the corps’ biggest ask; it said in 2024 that finding volunteers had become harder and encouraged families to ring together with children or grandparents. This year’s volunteer listing covers Nov. 9 through Dec. 24 at locations in all three counties and names Amy Evans as the contact, at (231) 330-1770. Donations can be made online through SAPetoskey.org or by check or money order to The Salvation Army of Petoskey, 2350 Mitchell Park Drive, Petoskey, MI 49770, according to the corps; it also lets supporters start an online “virtual kettle.” Businesses interested in sponsoring a kettle can use the same contact.

Who runs it. The Salvation Army describes itself as an evangelical part of the universal Christian church whose mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in His name without discrimination. The Petoskey corps was established in 1901.

What isn’t known yet. The corps had not posted its 2026 kettle locations or a running total as of Tuesday; SAPetoskey.org is the place to watch for both.

Sources:
The Salvation Army of Petoskey, “2026 Red Kettle Kickoff Sponsorship Luncheon” (goal, cost pressures, sponsorships, three counties, contact), https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/mi/petoskey/mitchell-park-dr-corps/2026-red-kettle-kickoff-sponsorship-luncheon/
The Salvation Army of Petoskey, “2026 Red Kettle Bell Ringing – Volunteering” (Nov. 9 to Dec. 24), https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/mi/petoskey/mitchell-park-dr-corps/2026-red-kettle-bell-ringing-volunteering/
The Salvation Army of Petoskey, “Salvation Army Needs Your Help to Reach Goal for Struggling Families” (2025 goal and shortfall, Meyer quote), https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/mi/petoskey/pleasant-st-corps/salvation-army-needs-your-help-to-reach-goal-for-struggling-families/
The Salvation Army of Petoskey, “2024 Red Kettle Campaign Kicks Off Friday, November 8th, $145,000 Goal” (programs, volunteer shortage, how to give, mission), https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/stories/2024-red-kettle-campaign-kicks-off-friday-november-8th145000-goal/
Harbor Light News, “Salvation Army of Petoskey short of fundraising goal, continues fundraising,” Jan. 14, 2026, https://www.harborlightnews.com/articles/salvation-army-of-petoskey-short-of-fundraising-goal-continues-fundraising/
Harbor Light News, “Salvation Army marking 125th anniversary amid increased need,” June 17, 2026, https://www.harborlightnews.com/articles/salvation-army-marking-125th-anniversary-amid-increased-need/
Photo: Dwight Burdette, “Salvation Army red kettle at supermarket entrance Ypsilanti Michigan.JPG,” Dec. 24, 2011, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), cropped and color-adjusted, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salvation_Army_red_kettle_at_supermarket_entrance_Ypsilanti_Michigan.JPG

Petoskey

Tags: Petoskey · Salvation Army · Red Kettle · Charity · Volunteering · Emmet County