Martine wants to work, but she recently lost her job and she is a single mother with a 2-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter.
Martine turned to Item Santa last week for help in paying for Christmas gifts. She doesn’t want a handout, just a little help.
“Thank you for understanding,” she wrote in a letter to Item Santa.
Martine is just one of dozens of parents reaching out for a little help this Christmas season. Like Martine, they are doing their best to work and provide the basic necessities for their children. They just need a little help from Item Santa’s selfless supporters in order to make Christmas the holiday it should be for children.
Since 1966, Item Santa has marked Christmas as a time for giving. The popular image of the holidays is a time of frantic excess, of running to malls, struggling to the car with arms of packages. But Christmas is also a time to set aside a little for Item Santa, just a small sum, to help those who view even a little as a lot.
The philosophy of Item Santa is simple: If people in need can be shown the kindness of others then they can gain the hope they need to help themselves and, in time, help others.
Item Santa is more than a handout, it is a sign of hope in a time of challenge. Sometimes the people who are most in need of hope are those with the greatest capacity to share the gratitude extended to them by others.
The children and parents who will benefit from the generosity of Item Santa-Salvation Army get the gift of hope through the selflessness of others. The donors’ demonstrations of the essence of the holiday spirit in turn help the recipients look anew at lives, in many cases, shattered by economic misfortune, injury, illness and, all too often, domestic abuse.
Item Santa’s decades-long history helping those left without during the holidays is a legacy of selfless giving and support by hundreds of area residents, businesses and organizations as well as civil servants.
Now in its 53rd year, the Item Santa fund helps to make Christmas brighter for the needy. To donate, clip the coupon in The Item and mail it, along with your check, to The Item Salvation Army Santa, PO Box 5, Lynn, MA 01903.
There is also a way to donate online, and have your contributions acknowledged, just click on the following link: https://newitemlive.wpengine.com/itemsanta.
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.
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.
