It goes without saying that this, the 54th year of the Item Santa’s existence, could be the most important in the history of the Christmas fund drive.
The United States began feeling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in February, when workers began getting laid off en masse. While more than 600,000 Americans went back to work in October, and while the unemployment rate dropped to 6.9 percent during the month, the overall figure is still up almost a full 2 percent since its 2020 low of just under 4 percent in January.
In April, when the full effects of the pandemic were beginning to show, unemployment was nearly 15 percent. One of the most visible ways this problem manifested itself was in the number of people seeking food. All over the country, food lines swelled. And that was just as evident in Lynn, where the demand for food became so acute that the Salvation Army, which had been distributing it from outside its Franklin Street headquarters, had to go offsite to accommodate the large numbers of people picking it up.
Hence, the food pantry was moved from Franklin Street to the Manning Field parking lot, beginning on Columbus Day weekend.
Anyone who wanted to see first-hand how much of a need there was for food in this area would have seen it on a Monday earlier this month when Santa visited the pantry to hand out a little early Christmas cheer. The lot was overflowing with rows of cars.
And this is where we come in. This is where the Item Santa lends a helping hand to a situation that seems to be as critical now as it was in early April, when the COVID-19 virus was spreading like wildfire. Suffice it to say the poverty that has resulted in the mammoth food lines will also be a factor during the upcoming holiday season. There will be more people than usual waking up to cold, empty and — dare we say it — joyless Christmas mornings. Dec. 25 will be just like any other day — except that stores will be closed and fewer of the usual social services will be available to those who need them.
Item Santa began in 1966 during President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. For the first few years, The Item took care of everything. By the early 1970s, it began partnering with the Salvation Army. The Item solicited and collected the donations; the Salvation Army bought the toys and other items and distributed them to needy people in the Lynn area.
The need for the Item Santa Fund has never been greater. Aside from the legions of people who, year after year, find themselves barely treading water, there are also legions of people who have been put in this position for the first time in their lives. What has happened in this country — in this world, actually — since March is a testament that many more of us than we realize are just a couple of missed paychecks away from financial disaster.
Item Santa does not discriminate for any reason. Citadel co-captain Helen Johnson said it doesn’t matter who clients are or where they come from. The goal is to meet basic needs.
And, Capt. Johnson 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. 7 this year), and then the days to sort through them will be announced.
Beginning today and extending through the week after Christmas, The Item will accept donations to the Item Santa Fund. Last year, when it was all over, The Item raised $81,477 — up considerably from the year before. The amount of money the fund raised was boosted immeasurably by the generosity of the G.E. Good Neighbor Fund, the William F. Connell Foundation, The Four Winds celebrity bartender night, Lynn funeral director David J. Solimine, Gannon Golf Course, and countless other businesses and people, many of whom chose to remain anonymous.
We ask for similar, if not greater, generosity this year as the need is so acute.
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://www. itemlive.com/itemsanta. All donations are listed in Item print editions through the month of December and into 2021, 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 the Salvation Army at (781) 598-0673.
