A mother of two wants to earn more money by picking up extra hours at her job to help make ends meet and to buy toys for her children. The extra shifts aren’t always available, so she turned to Item Santa for help.
“If you can help me so my kids get their toys for Christmas, I’d be more than happy,” she wrote in a letter to Item Santa.
She is one of dozens of parents reaching out for a little help this Christmas season. These parents 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 full of rushed buying sprees and marathon online ordering.
But Christmas is also a time for those who care 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 the Item Santa-Salvation Army partnership 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 55th 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, 85 Exchange St., Lynn, MA 01901.
There is also a way to donate online through the Salvation Army at itemsanta.org.
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.
