Salvation Army of Washtenaw County Kicks-Off Holiday Red Kettle Campaign

ANN ARBOR — Brandishing their trademark red bell and kettle, members of the Salvation Army of Washtenaw County kicked-off their annual holiday fundraising campaign at Briarwood Mall on Friday as dozens of passersby looked on.

"The need for assistance is great this year," Major John Williams said. "We're up 80 percent just in people looking for food assistance, and many of those have never walked through our doors before.

"What we're seeing is more young, educated adults having to choose between paying their light bill or feeding their family."

The red kettle campaign is The Salvation Army's main fundraiser, comprising 80 percent of the organization's budget to help local families, especially during the holidays.

"Our goal is to raise $300,000, which is the same goal as last year," Williams said. "Realistically we decided it would not be productive to raise the goal this year due to the economy and people having to stretch their dollars more."

Williams said last year's goal was met through a combination of donations at local kettles, a massive mail appeal and The Salvation Army's newest tool — credit card machines.

"We have four credit card machines, two in Ypsilanti and two at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor. They work out very well, especially in the mall. People are doing most of their shopping with a credit card so they’re swiping them at our bell station. It’s easy to give, it’s quick, and they can get a receipt right off the machine," Williams said.

Williams said the success of the campaign often hinges on large sponsors, such as Briarwood, as well as the efforts of local service clubs in the rural communities of Dexter, Chelsea, Manchester, Milan and Saline, among others.

"We get some fantastic support from our outlying communities in the county," Williams said. "Many people know that they could be helping their neighbor when they donate."

Denise Murray, director of marketing at Briarwood Mall, said the Salvation Army has partnered with the mall for the past four years.

"It's so important for communities to come together to support this program," she said. "By working together, we can only improve the places where we live."

Throughout the fundraising campaign, members of the Sigma Alpha Iota Pontchartrain Alumni Chapter will provide live music at collection sites throughout the mall.

"Each year we donate more time to the kettle drive," SAI member Lauren Erickson said. "Our goal this year is to donate 60 hours as part of our community service project."

In addition to the red kettle campaign, The Salvation Army's annual Angel Tree campaign runs concurrently Nov. 1-Dec. 9 and allows community members to select an angel tag with a local child’s age, gender, size and suggested gift items. Trees will be located at several area retailers including Briarwood Mall and Kmart in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. All Angel Tree gifts should be returned unwrapped to the same tree location by Dec. 9. Gifts collected through this program are distributed to families who applied for Christmas assistance through The Salvation Army. Williams said currently 300 families have signed up to participate in the Angel Tree program.

For more information, visit www.sawashtenaw.org to learn more about volunteer opportunities during the holidays.