Traverse City Salvation Army: Red Kettle kickoff Nov. 13 with a $249,500 goal, Angel Tree sign-ups through Nov. 30 and a free Thanksgiving dinner Nov. 25

TRAVERSE CITY — The Salvation Army of Traverse City starts its 2026 Red Kettle Campaign on Friday, Nov. 13, with a goal of $249,500 to fund programs it says serve about 30,000 people in the area.

The public kickoff runs from 9:30 to 10 a.m. at Blain’s Farm & Fleet, with Major Alan Hellstrom, the corps officer, welcoming guests, followed by music, cookies and a visit from Santa, according to the Salvation Army. Williams Chevrolet is this year’s Gold Kettle sponsor.

Where the bell ringers will be

Bell ringing runs from Nov. 13 through Dec. 24, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. This year’s new downtown spots are Espresso Bay and Grand Traverse Pie Co. on Park Street. Kettles will also be at Walmart, Sam’s Club, Tom’s Food Markets, both Oleson’s Food Stores, Blain’s Farm & Fleet, Family Fare on Eighth Street and in Chums Corner, and Hobby Lobby. Individuals, families, co-workers and church groups can sign up online to ring.

An anonymous donor will match up to $50,000 in gifts on Mondays and Saturdays in December, plus $35,000 during the campaign’s final week, the Salvation Army said.

Who can get Christmas help

Angel Tree provides Christmas gifts for children 17 and younger and a Thanksgiving or Christmas food basket for qualifying families. Applicants must live in Grand Traverse, Benzie or Leelanau counties and have household incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. Applications are open at SAAngelTree.org through Nov. 30, WPBN reported. Households without children can apply for a food basket at 1239 Barlow St.

Using the federal government’s 2026 poverty guidelines, that limit works out to about $32,460 a year for a household of two, $40,980 for three and $49,500 for four, by our math.

Last year the program served 639 children, including 182 teens ages 13 to 17. “This year, seeing the need increase in our food programs and emergency financial assistance program, we are expecting that number to soar,” Sue Brown, the director of community resource development, told WPBN.

The Teen Angel program pairs sponsors with qualifying teens at $150 each. Registered sponsors drop off unwrapped gifts from noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 10 and 11 at the Barlow Street community center. Sponsors can reach Brown at 231-649-2752.

Free holiday dinners

Holiday meals at the Corps Community Center, 1239 Barlow St., are open to everyone with no reservations: Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, and Christmas dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 23, according to the Salvation Army. WPBN listed the Christmas dinner as Dec. 25; we used the organization’s date.

Sources:
The Salvation Army of Traverse City, “The Salvation Army of Traverse City Announces Red Kettle Kickoff, Holiday Assistance and Community Meals” (goal, kickoff, locations, matches, Angel Tree, Teen Angel, dinners), https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usa-central-territory/great-lakes/the-salvation-army-of-traverse-city-announces-red-kettle-kickoff-holiday-assistance-and-community-meals/
Amiyah Young, “Applications open for Salvation Army Angel Tree, Teen Angel holiday aid through Nov. 30,” WPBN/WGTU, Nov. 3, 2026 (deadline, Brown quote), https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/applications-open-for-salvation-army-angel-tree-teen-angel-holiday-aid-through-nov-30-grand-traverse-leelanau-benzie-counties
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ASPE, 2026 poverty guidelines (48 contiguous states), https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines
Photo: Office of U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, “Salvation Army Red Kettle Kickoff (5263415711).jpg,” Nov. 19, 2010, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), resized, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salvation_Army_Red_Kettle_Kickoff_(5263415711).jpg

Traverse City

Tags: Traverse City · Salvation Army · Red Kettle · Angel Tree · Holiday help · Thanksgiving · Charity