A health crisis is a burden enough for most people, but the weight presses down even harder on families facing economic hardship, especially during the holidays.
Two letters to Item Santa convey the pain and panic faced by two parents who hope helping hands and generous hearts can make the holidays a little brighter for their children.
One of the letter writers summed up the tough year she has faced in seven lines, describing how she underwent surgery earlier this year and is about to lose her home if a new place to live cannot be found.
“I could end up homeless with my boys,” the parent wrote.
The second writer, with a letter as brief and heart-wrenching as the first one, is a single mother of two who received the great news that she is in remission from cancer, but still faces financial barriers.
“I need some help for a nice Christmas for my children this year,” she wrote, adding how grateful she is to have received assistance previously from Item Santa.
Item Santa provides a chance not only to share the elemental joy of Christmas with another person; it also lets people look for hope within themselves by feeling heartfelt charity exhibited by others.
Item Santa has brought smiles to the faces of children who have the chance — thanks to the generosity of others — to open gifts on Christmas.
Some of the people helped by Item Santa are new arrivals to the country facing the challenges of mastering English, attending new schools and finding their way around a place much different from the one where they were born.
Others suffer indirectly from the devastation that substance abuse visits upon families. Children struggle to sort out feelings of love and allegiance to adults in their lives even as those grownups struggle with alcohol and drugs.
The parents reaching out to Item Santa for help after enduring medical challenges aren’t asking for much. One needs a place to live, the other wants to return to a secure economic footing. They aren’t asking Santa for housing or a job, they are asking for help from generous people to make the holidays a little brighter for their kids.
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 2022, 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.
