The U.S. Postal Service’s Operation Santa program, now in its 112th year, has expanded nationwide online allowing anyone in the United States to adopt letters written to Santa by hopeful children and families in need and send responses and gifts on his behalf. What began in 1912 as a small local program has grown dramatically, especially after a successful trial run in New York a few years ago proved that moving the operation online could help far more children across the country access the magic of Christmas. Xavier Hernandez, a USPS communications specialist in Manhattan, explained this represents the most expansive program they’ve done so far, with the postal service now receiving an astounding 500,000 letters to Santa every year from children hoping for Christmas miracles. While many children request toys and games from the jolly old elf, some letters ask for basic necessities like coats, gloves, and hats, while others make heartbreakingly simple requests for help for loved ones who have fallen on tough times during difficult economic periods.
Patrick Reynolds, a longtime volunteer and creator of Beanelf, a nonprofit designed to support Operation Santa, said the program brings real Christmas spirit to people and that’s why he continues dedicating his time to helping children receive the gifts they desperately need. The process for participating is beautifully simple: browse through letters on USPSOperationSanta.com and adopt ones that touch your heart, find the perfect gift while keeping it anonymous since it’s from Santa after all, pack gifts in a box using USPS shipping, and take everything to a participating post office by the December 16th deadline. Volunteers who have participated in the program over the years describe reading letters from children who express not greed but genuine need, with some asking simply for warm clothing to survive winter or help for parents struggling to make ends meet. The nationwide expansion means that hundreds of thousands of children who might otherwise go without presents on Christmas morning now have the chance to experience the joy and wonder of believing in Santa Claus, all thanks to generous strangers who choose to spread holiday cheer by becoming his helpers.
