Today begins the 53rd year of the Item Santa drive.
We usually do this the day after Thanksgiving, but because this year the holiday falls so late in the month, we decided to launch the drive a week early to give our readers some extra time to donate to our fund.
Launched in 1966, the fundraiser is run in conjunction with the Salvation Army in hopes of making the Christmas season a little happier and brighter for needy members of the community.
There could be many reasons for the need that afflicts members of the Lynn area. Maybe it’s poverty. Perhaps it’s homelessness. Sometimes, even when you have a job, the money you make doesn’t cover everything. Sometimes it’s an either-or situation. Heat over food, for example.
And, sometimes, by the end of the year, with bills being what they are, things start to pile up, and families just cannot afford the luxury of buying Christmas presents for each other.
Whatever the reasons, the Salvation Army, which coordinates the program by sorting out requests and purchasing the toys and clothing (as well as accepting any and all donations) is ready and willing to help all those people from in and around Lynn who legitimately need it.
And so is The Item.
Last year, the drive netted more than $108,626.51 in pledges. Included in that was a $35,000 donation from General Electric that came in after we stopped doing a daily count.
It was thanks to the GE Good Neighbor Fund and people such as Lynn funeral director David J. Solimine (who runs Santa Island), the folks at the Four Winds, the William F. Connell Foundation, and many others, that we were able to bring last year’s drive home successfully.
Item Santa will need your help even more this season. The number of people who fall into the category called “working poor” grows annually. People who do the right things and play by the rules often find themselves, at the end of the day, wanting for funds to provide their families with the type of holidays they remembered as children.
Helen Johnson, co-captain (along with her husband Kevin, of the Lynn Salvation Army citadel), are in the second year of their ministry. She said it is heartbreaking reading some of the letters submitted annually requesting help.
“We’ve had similar types of drives in other areas,” she said. “I remember one year, I just sat on the floor and read the letters, and the tears were streaming down my face. It’s heartbreaking, seeing what some people go through just to live.”
This goes double, she said, if she’s had personal contact with any of the clients.
“There are always a few you could get to know,” she said, “and serving them is extremely rewarding.”
Item Santa does not discriminate for any reason. Johnson said it doesn’t matter who clients are or where they come from. The goal is to meet basic needs. And, she said, all children deserve to have their basic needs met.
That is the purpose of Item Santa.
The first step to qualify for aid is to apply. Those who do must provide proof of identity and address (this year’s application process already took place). Once approved, families must wait until the toys are delivered to the Salvation Army building on Franklin Street (Dec. 14 this year), and then the days to sort through them will be announced.
It’s even easier to donate to the fund. Each day from now until Dec. 24, there will be a Page A1 story in The Item featuring either an example of the types of situations we hope to help alleviate, or a story about some of the people who work behind the scenes to make the program go. Inside the paper there will be a coupon. Simply clip the coupon, fill it out and mail it to The Daily Item, P.O. Box 5, Lynn, MA, 01903. You can also bring it to the paper at its 110 Munroe St. address.
All donations are listed in Item print editions through the month of December and into 2020, along with a brief message from each donor, if desired.
There is also a way to donate online, and have your contributions acknowledged, just click on the following link: https://newitemlive.wpengine.com/itemsanta.
Those 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 distribution of gifts should be directed to Salvation Army at 781-598-0673.
