Single mom appeals to Item Santa for help

LYNN – While many families will be showering one another with gifts this Christmas, some are struggling to keep their kids in clothes.Through the Item Santa Fund, you have a chance to help local families in need. With the economy in the pits, more people than ever have turned to Item Santa for help this year. Nearly 1,400 families have been approved for assistance, which is about 400 more than an average year.One Lynn mom is living in a shelter with her 7- and 8-year-old sons and wrote to Item Santa asking for help providing for her two sons.”I am a single mom who could use some help for Christmas,” said the letter. “I am now living in a shelter so I could get back on my feet. I have two wonderful boys who I would like for them to have a good Christmas.”The mother said her sons could use clothing this year, and with winter fast approaching, said they could use hats, gloves, coats, pants and shirts. And of course with winter in Massachusetts that means snow, which is why this mother also requested help in providing her sons with boots.The mother went on to say that any help she received would be much appreciated and will help her family have a merry Christmas this year.Item Santa is in its 45th year of brightening the lives of local children. To make a donation, clip the coupon on Page A8 in today’s Daily Item and mail it, along with your check, to The Item Salvation Army Santa, P.O. Box 951, Lynn, MA 01903. For more information, call the Salvation Army at 781-598-0673.