The holidays are supposed to be about joyous giving and spending time with family. It can become hard to celebrate either of those when the only home you have is a homeless shelter.
Among the stack of Item Santa letters is one from a single mother who has set everything aside in order to put her 2-year-old son first. Her whole life is dedicated to ensuring that her little boy has the best life she can provide for him, even in times of major financial struggle.
“We are living in a homeless family shelter only receiving SNAP and TANF,” she said. “I’m currently fighting for SSI, our income is very little.”
Her son’s birthday is just two weeks shy of Christmas, which has her worried about how she will be able to afford gifts for both his birthday and the holidays. Just like any other child excited for the holidays, the almost-3-year-old wrote to Santa asking for toys and games, but there is one thing he begged the jolly old man for. With a love for reading that grows more and more each day, the young reader told Santa the gift he wanted most was books to read to his mother.
The mother also expresses her son’s love for anything regarding the cartoon show The Octonauts, as it’s his favorite and he watches it every day. She also talks about his interests in robots, puzzles, animals, and skateboards.
“I can’t afford to keep up with batteries and their cost so the less batteries the better for us, please,” she said.
Most of us celebrate Christmas in the comfort of our own cozy homes with beautifully decorated Christmas trees that are overflowing with a sea of gifts. Those who struggle financially aren’t allowed those same comforts. We, as a community, need to step up and do what we can to alleviate those holiday struggles.
Item Santa is more than just a way to make a parent’s wish come true or to put a gift in a child’s hands. It is a way for generous people displaying the true spirit of the holidays to give good cheer and hope to families in need.
The gifts of Item Santa come during the holidays but the real gift endures all year long with families drawing inspiration from the goodness of others. Item Santa has aided needy families and brightened holidays for more than half a century because of the goodwill and holiday generosity displayed by Item Santa’s countless elves.
To make a donation to Item Santa, fill out the form below or visit Itemsanta.org.
All donations are listed in The Item through December and into 2018, along with a brief message from each donor.
Anyone interested in signing up to collect at Santa Island or any business willing to sell stockings should contact David Solimine Sr., or Joel Solimine at 781-595-1492.
NOTE: The application period for aid from Item Santa has closed and The Item does not process applicants. All questions about the program and the distribution of gifts should be directed to Salvation Army at 781-598-0673.
