Recovery? Kids ask Santa for coats and boots, not toys, this year
Heartbreak is the 2:50 mark of this Lion King clip. Heartbreak is being a Dallas Cowboys fan. And heartbreak, certainly, is this.
As the year comes to a close and 2011’s economic forecasts heat up – RBC, for one, predicts much faster economic growth next year – anyone searching for proof the world still ain’t right should look no further.
According to USA Today, kids aren’t writing Santa for fancy toys this year, they’re asking for basic needs, such as coats, socks and shoes.
“The need is greater this year than I’ve ever seen it,” Pete Fontana, the U.S. Postal Service’s “Head Elf”, says of the pleas made by needy children.
“One little girl didn’t want anything for herself, She wanted a winter coat for her mother.”
As they do in Canada, Fontana runs point on letters written to Santa from the U.S. Postal Service’s main New York City branch. There, he and 22 “staff elves” sort two million letters addressed to Santa Claus in the North Pole each year.
And it’s been at the headquarters for Operation Santa that Fontana's crew has noticed this Christmas, more than any other, kids are lobbying St. Nick for basic necessities.
“This year my moom don’t (sic) have much money to spend on Christmas gifts so I’m writing to you,” says Cesar, 7. “It would make us very happy if you and your elves would bring us toys and clothes.”
Adds Melanney, 9: “I have been a very good girl this year,” the girl wrote, asking Santa for a coat and boots to stay warm.
Wait, it gets worse.
As if kids not asking for Xboxes and Barbie dolls and Justin Bieber action figures wasn’t enough, parents fallen on hard times have been forced to turn to Santa for relief, too.
One mom, Fontana tells USA Today, mailed a turn-off notice from her electric company with the note, “I am unable to buy my children toys and clothes. Santa, may you help me with my family?”
Recovery? Doesn’t seem as if we’re there, quite yet.
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: John | Dec 18, 2021 2:58:33 PM
This is a prime example of why the "economic recovery" is a joke.
The only people that are getting anything from the stimulus packages are the people who created the crisis in the first place.
Things CANNOT go back to what they we're because that system will always fail.
If you want a successfull economy the government needs to control ALL necessities of life including rent and mortgages and keep everything at a consistant price, inflation needs to die, prices do NOT need to go up, minimum wage should not exist and equal profit sharing needs to be made standard at ALL companies (true equal profit sharing is where the net profit every month is split between everyone equally per hour from the ceo to the cleaning crew).
Ys I know there is a massive amount of stuff I didn't cover but this is the backbone for a truly powerful economy.
Posted by: Ashamed to be Canadian | Dec 20, 2021 5:17:24 AM
This is disgusting, this story should have generated tons of comments but instead only one person has the respect to say anything on what is a very serious subject.
John is absolutely correct in what he says, heck I remember a time when we had single income households, now we just have a dictatorship (the only difference is we get to voe on who will rip us off for the next 2-4 years).
I am so tired of every politician and big business ripping us off and I have had enough.
I am not buying anything anymore other then the bare essentials due to not being able to afford too.
I used to be proud to be Canadian nowall I feel is that we are just a joke due to the difference between the rich and the poor.
I no longer feel national pride due to it having been replaced with shame.
Posted by: cole | Dec 20, 2021 8:50:05 AM
Just wanted to say after reading this article tears come to my eyes. My wife and i are fortunate enough that our two children are grown up and on thier own now but i really do feel for others that are trying to make ends meet. I myself just got layed off unexpectedly 2 weeks befor xmas which put us in a position where we did'nt know how we where going to keep up with our bills because anyone who has been layed off befor knows it takes a good 6 weeks befor you will see any E.I from government, so we had no choice but to sell an engagement ring for a fraction of what i had paid to balance our budget, paid our bills, got some groceries at walmart and give them my last 10 dollars going out the door for the make a xmas mericle happen fund as we watched the rich just keep walking, makes me sick. That being said, we still wont have xmas gifts this year but we feel so fortunate and our hearts are with the ones with children that cant afford xmas this year. Christmas should have never turned out to be so stressful as it is these days, it's true'ly sad. Love to all and merry xmas.