Postal Service’s “Operation Santa” in Need of Elves
The holiday season is upon us, and with it are many opportunities to do good in the communities around us. Many Americans will volunteer at local charities, soup kitchens, or possibly through the church. However, our busy lifestyles may not allow us to give much in the way of time. So, how does one give back and help those in need at Christmas?
USPS’ Operation Santa is not a new way to give back during the holiday season. The program was initialized in 1912, when then-Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock gave both postal employees and volunteer citizens to respond to letters to Santa sent through the postal service. At the time, these were simply written responses to letters.
Read More »USPS says that in that time, the program “has taken a life of its own.” Multiple metropolitan areas around the United States have created successful offshoots of the Operation Santa program. Today, major business corporations, local businesses, charitable organizations, and even employees of the postal service take part in the Operation Santa program.
By 2017, the postal service had launched a digital version of Operation Santa. New York City was the first metropolitan area to test the new Operation Santa method. Only children from New York City were allowed to participate in this new version of Operation Santa, and only people who lived within a certain area near the James A. Farley Post Office in Manhattan were allowed to “adopt” a child for the program. This was due to the necessity of packages having to be shipped from that particular location.
However, children from Puerto Rico would also be included due to the number of hurricanes that affected that area in 2017.
By 2018, more cities joined this digital version of Operation Santa. Those cities included Washington (DC), San Diego, Phoenix, and Austin, TX. Puerto Rico was still included in 2018, and Chico, CA – a place decimated by wildfires during 2018, was also added to the list of pilot cities.
The USPS set up a designated post office in each of these cities from which packages for needy children could be shipped.
By 2019, seventeen more cities had been added to the digital hub, but, this year, Americans from any location could “adopt” a child and the packages sent from anywhere in the United States. This allowed for many more children to be helped, and it allowed for many more volunteers to become one of Santa’s helpers.
In 2019, there would be 19,000 Operation Santa packages shipped from 19,000 different locations across the United States.
By 2020, the USPS expanded the program for nationwide participation. Letters were accepted from anywhere in the United States. For this year, the letters were to be addressed to “123 Elf Road” at the North Pole. From there, the USPS rerouted those letters so they could be published on the web. However, only 19,000 locations around the United States allowed for the shipping of packages from their area.
Letters for the 2022 year are already being accepted (acceptance began on September 15, 2022). On November 14, adopters may begin registering. The official letter adoption will begin on November 28.
Any children wishing to send letters to Operation Santa should do so by December 12; all letters to 123 Elf Road/North Pole/88888 must be postmarked by the 12th of December.
Those who are wishing to adopt a child for this year’s Operation Santa can begin on Monday, November 14 by registering and verifying their identification and address.
The program is now in its 110th year, with the most growth taking place in the last five years, particularly with the ability to send letters digitally and to register via USPSOperationSanta.com.
Families may also visit “USPS Operation Santa” on Facebook for more information. However, Twitter and Instagram also offer opportunities to follow the program on those social media platforms as well.
For the first time, during the 2022 holiday season, Operation Santa is offering bilingual children a chance to participate; the USPS has been actively campaigning using Spanish to encourage Hispanic children to send their letters to Santa in as well.
Anyone can participate in the program, just as anyone can become one of Santa’s helpers. Today, not only are small businesses and major corporations encouraged to participate, but so are members of local communities. Their kindness “lifts up strangers living on the margins.”
Sue Brennan, a senior public relations representative for the United States Postal Service, says each year there is an outpouring of gratitude from those who send letters in to Operation Santa. Brennan shared, “We’ve received . . .so many notes and cards . . . telling us that without this program, there would have been no gifts at all.”
Brennan went on to say that the notes of gratitude received by the postal service can often been “gut-wrenching.” Brennan also spoke to the massive needs of many American families, which the individuals participating in Operation Santa Clause help to fill.
Because the program is all digital in 2022, individuals wishing to participate my visit the USPS’ website discussing Operation Santa. Here, once they’ve completed registration and identification criteria, the individuals can then begin viewing potential adoptees. People can then adopt a child or family safely and securely.
Those who are looking to participate by sending a letter to Santa must make sure to include the letter writer’s first and last name as well as a complete return address (this will include both the house or apartment number, street name, zip code, and the city and state). If letter writers aren’t sure how to proceed with the letter itself, there are templates on the Operation Santa page that can assist.
Letter writers do not need to register, but those who wish to send gifts must do so. December 12 is the last day to send a letter, while December 19 is the last day to adopt. However, participants should keep in mind that the holiday season often results in slow response times, so both parties should get letters in or register as soon as possible.
Isn’t that what Christmas is all about – lending a helping hand to our fellow man? The Operation Santa program allows people from all across America to reach out to people in their communities, particularly if time is not something one has much to give away. Participating in Operation Santa is easy, and those who wish to learn more can visit
https://www.uspsoperationsanta.com/ in order to learn more.
