It’s that time of year again and The Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign is in full swing. These iconic red kettles help to raise funds for the local community so The Salvation Army can continue to provide food, shelter, clothing, and wrap-around services for those that are in need.

One of Metro Detroit’s most well-known bell ringers, Pam Callan, is in her sixth year volunteering and bringing holiday cheer outside of Kroger in Bloomfield Township. Callan’s holiday cheer and personal Christmas playlist coming from her jukebox not only helps raise funds for The Salvation Army but encourages the giving spirit that is so needed around this time of year.

We then visited one of The Salvation Army’s emergency services facilities, Booth Services at the Ellen Thompson Center. This is a family shelter that provides temporary residence to women and children facing homelessness. We met with one family who are currently residents, Dayna Bledsoe and her four children — two months old, two years old, four years old, and eight years old. The Bledsoe family has been in the facility since August of this year after the passing of Ms. Bledsoe’s grandmother who was a large aid to the family. We hope to follow Ms. Bledsoe and her children's journey out of the shelter and into housing.

The Site Administrator Kyra Fisher spoke on the importance of having a home, not just for shelter but what being housed brings to individuals socially. Fisher explained, when we have a home, we have security, safety, community, and an identity — things people often take for granted.

We also met with a fourth generation Salvation Army member of staff, Executive Director Jamie Winkler, who explained the tremendous benefits that the company brings to people not only with the essentials like food, shelter, and clothing, but with job training, substance abuse, domestic violence, and other services that get people get back on their feet and stay on their feet so they don’t experience homelessness again.