MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Milwaukee County’s Salvation Army opened its holiday Red Kettle Campaign on Friday in Milwaukee, Wis., and set a target of $3.3 million for the season.
The kickoff was held Friday morning, Nov. 13, at the Milwaukee Public Market. Salvation Army leaders, community partners and local officials gathered there to mark the start of the giving season and lay out the group’s holiday plans.
The kettle drive is the single largest fundraiser the organization runs in Milwaukee County each year, and the money it brings in keeps programs going well after the holidays end. Organizers said food pantries and services for people without a home are where the need is greatest this year.
The new goal sits a little above last year’s total. The 2025 campaign brought in more than $3.2 million. That money helped keep three local food pantries running, supplied winter coats, toys and holiday meals, paid for shelter and housing help for people experiencing homelessness, and backed disaster relief work around the county.
Major Beverly Gates, who leads the Salvation Army across Milwaukee County as area commander, said the season’s Give with Joy theme is a chance for people to make a real difference for their neighbors, and that each donation helps pay for shelter, food and hope for people going through hard times.
Residents can drop money into the red kettles that will appear at locations across the county, or sign up to ring bells as volunteers during the holiday season. The organization also lists other volunteer roles that can be found by searching with a ZIP code on its website.