Letter Adoptees Wanted for U.S. Postal Service’s Operation Santa
Want to channel the spirit of jolly ol’ Saint Nick? The U.S. Postal Service’s annual Operation Santa program offers a chance for benevolent souls to adopt a child’s letter and make their wish come true.
The initiative, which is in its 110th year, has helped countless children and families nationwide have a magical holiday season when they otherwise might not. Anyone can read a letter on the agency’s website, adopt it, and fulfill the request with the help of friendly local letter carriers.
“Operation Santa relies solely on random acts of kindness and the generosity of strangers,” the Postal Service said.
Here’s how it works:
Children have been mailing letters to Santa’s workshop at 123 Elf Rd., North Pole 88888 since Sept. 15.
Letters sent with accurate postage and complete return addresses have been posted on USPSOperationSanta.com, where they were made available for reading and adopting as of Nov. 29.
Anyone seeking to adopt a letter must register online to verify their identity. The letters can only be read by registered letter adopters.
Once a registrant chooses a letter, the adopter is sent instructions on how to ship gifts. The deadline to adopt a letter is Dec. 19.
Packages must be shipped via Priority Mail service, but gifts do not need to be in Priority Mail branded boxes, according to the Postal Service. Letter adopters are responsible for postage fees to ship the gift packages.
Children writing letters must include a first and last name and a clear, legible, complete return address, including apartment number, if applicable.
Envelopes must contain a First-Class Mail Forever stamp — or other First-Class Mail stamps that equal 60 cents in postage.
Letters can only be sent via First-Class Mail service in small, business-size or greeting card-size envelopes. They cannot be sent using Priority Mail service. Letters must be postmarked by Dec. 12.
There is no guarantee that letters submitted to the program will be adopted.
