OWEN O’ROURKE / ITEM PHOTO
Volunteer Laura Trahan stocks the gym at the Lynn Salvation Army with $70,000 worth of toys for those in need. The money to pay for these toys comes in part from contributions to Item Santa.
By MICHELE DURGIN
LYNN — The Salvation Army’s headquarters turned into Santa’s workshop this week with volunteers converging on the Franklin Street office to give toys and other gifts to needy families.
Experience has turned the annual act of generosity into an assembly line with tables set up in the Salvation Army gymnasium. Volunteer “elves” stood at each table and helped distribute toys to parents who placed donations in a “Santa bag.”
“We gave them a personal shopping experience with a host leading them around, asking them about their children and what they may like,” said Salvation Army Capt. Jeffrey Brunelle.
The workshop opened from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday with today set aside as a makeup day. Families with children 12 years old and younger signed up through an income eligibility process in November.
About 1,500 children received roughly $76,000 in toys and games, along with about $20,000 worth of vouchers to purchase winter coats, hats and mittens.
This week’s display of generosity is rooted in the annual Item Santa Drive that began for the 49th year on Nov. 27. The Salvation Army and Item’s partnership to help the fortunate extends to other sponsors, including GE Good Neighbor Fund, Connell Limited Partnership, Dave Solimine Sr.’s Santa’s Island Collection Teams and others.
“It’s awesome,” Brunelle said.
GE and H&R Block employee volunteers helped distribute toys this week, including popular gifts like My Little Pony dolls and Star Wars action figures. This year each girl on “Santa’s list “ received a baby doll and stroller or a set of Frozen Anna and Elsa dolls, along with requested toys.
Boys each receive an inflatable indoor basketball hoop as a bonus this year. Every family is given a street hockey set and either a basketball, football or soccer ball. Surplus money from Item Santa donations will pay to send children to Camp Wonderland, the Salvation Army’s summer camp in Sharon.
“Some of proceeds, if there are any left, will go to send kids to that camps,” Brunelle.
