The donations dropped into these kettles comprise the majority of the annual operating budget for the Salvation Army of the Copper Country, an organization that serves the area with a wide variety of humanitarian aid initiatives.

The group operates one of the largest food pantries in the area, offering food items for pickup at its Hancock location. It also assists first responders with emergency disaster services, and provides aid for homelessness, mental health, addiction recovery, and other social service issues.

To operate these programs, Salvation Army works with local churches and non-profit groups, and relies on volunteer support and public donations. All of the funds collected in the red kettles stay local, helping to support the group’s many initiatives in Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga and Ontonagon counties.

As Christmas approaches, the Salvation Army provides Christmas gifts and winter clothing to community members in need through the Angel Tree and Cheer Club programs.

Photo provided by Peter Mackin Director Peter Mackin with bellringer volunteers at a collection site.

Peter Mackin, Director of the Salvation Army of the Copper Country, spoke with the Gazette on Thursday morning. He said that the group had already given out Christmas gifts to many area families.

“In the past, families would come in and shop and pick out what they wanted. With COVID the last two years, we’ve had to do interviews over the phone and see what types of things that the kids were into,” Mackin said. “It actually turned out to be a blessing. Because parents can tell us, maybe one boy is into tinkering with tools or another one likes to do crafts. We were able to match up toys that really speak to a kid’s gifts or dreams and goals, which is really neat.”

This year, the holiday season has been especially busy because of housing shortages faced by many Copper Country residents.

“We’ve been in the middle of a very large housing crisis. One that I have never seen in my 20 years of doing work around the U.P.,” Mackin said. “Whereas last year I had a dozen or so families that needed help with housing. This year, we have already assisted well over 70 homeless individuals – including seniors living in vehicles, teens on the street and families literally living in tents or abandoned buildings – to move into stable housing.”

“So it’s been a very big challenge, but the community has been very supportive and local churches and community groups have been working with us very closely to help meet that need,” he continued. “Everybody is under a roof right now. But every week I get another five or six that are about to be evicted or can’t find a place.”

In the face of these challenges, Mackin shared a message of hope and optimism – an outlook that is informed by faith. He compared the struggles of Copper Country residents to the Biblical story of Joseph and Mary seeking shelter before the birth of Christ.

“Especially over the last few years, people are facing life altering challenges like losing their jobs or relationships falling apart or struggling with depression or mental illness from the isolation from COVID,” he said. “As we meet these challenges, it’s easy to identify with them. To think ‘I’m a failure because I lost my job,’ or ‘I’m a failure because my family is struggling.'”

“The encouragement we’re trying to tell people is that, like in Joseph’s case, there wasn’t room at the inn for him. But if he had gotten into the inn, he would not have been in the manger with the wise men and the angels,” Mackin said. “So often, challenges like this are really a redirection to something better. We’ve seen that with a lot of people as they’ve faced these crises and challenges. That’s the positive side of this. I’ve seen as many miracles as I’ve seen challenges, which is just a testimony to how good God is.”

The Salvation Army welcomes donations and volunteers. Donations can be made online through the group’s website, and prospective volunteers of all backgrounds are encouraged to visit the Salvation Army’s headquarters at 408 Ravine Street in Hancock.

“I always ask people, if you have a specific talent, if you’re good at cooking, or you’re good at construction or you like beautification, whatever talent you have, we can use that and match that up with meeting a need in the community,” Mackin concluded.