We’ve certainly heard enough this year about the economy, and how tough it is for the average consumer to survive with the ruinous inflation of the last few years.

Regardless of what the indicators are showing, it seems to be getting harder, not easier, 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 rip tide that just means making harder decisions about where they put their money.

The year 2024 was no different as we seem to be running faster and faster just to stay even.

So, it goes without saying that this, the 58th year of the Item Santa’s existence, could be among the most crucial in the long history of this drive.

Item Santa first came to Lynn 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 has shown a decline in the last three years, inflation’s effects may blunt the ability for the average wage-earner with a family to meet every demand he or she has.

This is where we — and YOU — can help. Item Santa lends a helping hand to a situation that seems to be as heartbreaking for some folks now as it has been since COVID-19 spread like wildfire four years ago. The economy will be a huge factor as the holiday season approaches. 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 has never been greater. There are legions of people who, year after year, find themselves barely treading water. There are other people who have been put in this position for the first time in their lives. Unless blessed with steady employment or a good financial cushion, more of us than we realize are just a couple of missed paychecks away from financial disaster.

We do not discriminate for any reason. Lynn Salvation Army Capt. Enmanuel Villegas said it doesn’t matter who the army’s 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 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.

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 eclipsed the $90,000 mark in 2023. 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 over the years 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: salvationarmyma.org/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.