Each year, it gets harder and harder for the average person to survive the holiday season with enough disposable income to be able to afford a real old-fashioned kind of Christmas.

Each year, more and more people get sucked into the economic undertow that forces them to make hard decisions about how they allocate their resources.

The year 2023 represented more of the same. People seem to be running twice as hard just to stay even.

So, it goes without saying that as we begin the 57th Item Santa drive today, we could be embarking on one of the most important years in its history. 

Item Santa began in 1966 during President Lyndon B. 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 people in the Lynn area who met the eligibility requirements.

Even though the unemployment rate shows a decline, inflation’s effects might blunt the ability of the average wage-earner with a family to meet every demand they have. 

This is where we come in. This is where Item Santa lends a helping hand to a situation that seems to be as critical now as it has been since COVID-19 began spreading like wildfire. Suffice it to say, the economy’s incessant drum beat will be a huge factor during the upcoming holiday season. There will be more people 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. 

The need for Item Santa has never been greater. Aside from the legions of people who, year after year, find themselves barely treading water, there are also a lot of people who have been put in this position for the first time in their lives. 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. Lynn Salvation Army Capt. Enmanuel Villegas said it doesn’t matter who clients are or where they come from. The goal is to meet basic needs. 

The first step to qualify for aid is to apply. Those who apply 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.

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 came close to the $100,000 mark  — which is its annual goal. The amount of money the fund raised has been achieved by your donations (and, however small you feel they may be, they are much appreciated and valued here), and boosted immeasurably throughout the years by the generosity of the G.E. Good Neighbor Fund, the William F. Connell Foundation, the Four Winds celebrity bartender night, 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 use the following link: https://www.itemlive.com/itemsanta.

All donations are listed in Item print editions through the month of December and into 2024, 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.