Mitchell Holt's arms ached, weighed down by a leaning tower of gifts for his two children. He struggled to keep hold of the skates, action figures, a "Clifford the Big Red Dog" fun set and a toy truck that could be made to shout, "Eat dust!"
But there was one burden that Holt, 38, and his wife, Tammy, were spared yesterday. The Baltimore couple didn't owe a dime for the loot.
At the checkout, the couple simply redeemed the 205 points that they earned for being involved with their 3-year-old son Tijuan at St. Jerome's Head Start, a preschool program for low-income children based in Southwest Baltimore.
This is the 10th year that St. Jerome's has operated its "Super Store." The idea is simple: Parents who volunteer or find other ways to participate get points in return.
The points can be used like money to buy new toys and clothes at the annual event in the multipurpose room on West Hamburg Street.
"Even though I'm a kitchen manager, I have a lot of bills," said Holt, who works at Phillips Seafood Restaurant in Annapolis. "This will bring joy to my kids, the smiles on their faces."
Everyone seemed to appreciate that this was no mere giveaway. "It gets away from that handout mentality," said Mary Gunning, director of St. Jerome's Head Start, which is run by Catholic Charities and serves 275 children at nine locations.
Even so, the spirit of giving ran strong. "For me, this is what Christmas is really about - sharing with other people," said Gunning, decked out in red antlers. "The Christmas season really begins for me the day we do the Super Store."
The store opened early this year. Parents lined up at 5:30 a.m., prompting organizers to turn shoppers loose a half-hour sooner than planned, at 7:30.
About 175 families participated in the event. But this was no chaotic post-Thanksgiving trip to Wal-Mart.
There were no elbows thrown; nobody ran wildly. Instead, groups of 25 were allowed to browse the goods in relative peace for half an hour.
The multipurpose room took on the feel of a museum at times. The loudest noises came from the humming ventilation system and the creak of footsteps on the worn wooden floors.
More than 30 tables were laden with dolls, board games, sports gear, toy trucks, clothes. All was donated by companies, churches, schools and individuals.
Unlike at a real store, there was no danger of overspending. When your points were gone, that was it. But like at a real store, some items went quickly.
"GameBoy Advance and Bratz dolls - those are the hot-ticket items," said Kisha Gladden, a coordinator.
In an act of fairness not often seen in the commercial world, organizers held back some GameBoys for later groups.
GameBoys, which sell for $70 to $90, went for 65 points. Most gifts were worth 10 to 25 points. To get a sense of the effort required of parents, each hour of volunteering equals 2 1/2 points.
There are many other ways to accrue points.
"We understand they can't all come in and volunteer," said Michele Petrella, a family services coordinator.
Points also go to parents who have perfect attendance at work, who bake for Head Start parties or who act as chaperones on trips.
Adeirdra Campbell, a 21-year-old administrative assistant, said she had already spent hundreds of dollars on gifts for her 2-year-old son Tiyon. "This," she said, "is just to get the little stuff."
Sabrina Veney, 28, a mother of two daughters who lives near St. Jerome's, said the program helped "a whole lot." With the money she saved, she will buy a turkey and a ham for Christmas dinner.
Alexandria Cahill, 32, of Calhoun Street, said there would have been far less under her Christmas tree. She has six children ages 2 to 15. She is a housewife who volunteers often at Head Start, where her 3-year-old daughter Justice goes.
That is how Cahill racked up 250 points for yesterday's spree. "It helps out a great deal because my husband is the only one who works," she said.