WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service is looking to bring holiday joy to families and children in need through its annual "Operation Santa" program.
The festive program, which started in 1912 when Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock allowed local post offices to respond to letters written to Santa, has evolved through the years into a nationwide initiative that connects generous gift-givers with children hoping for holiday magic.
How to participate in Operation Santa
Anyone in the U.S. can be part of the program, either by writing a letter to Santa or by becoming one of Santa's helpers.
Those wanting to write to Santa should address and mail their letters to: Santa, 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888.
The USPS then works their holiday magic by processing these letters and uploading them to their website for adoption.
Detailed information about what to include in the letter is available on the USPS Operation Santa website - but be sure to include your return address so Santa's helpers know where to send the gifts. Plus, being specific with details about the items on your wish list makes it easier for letter adopters to know what kind of gift to buy.
Operation Santa letter adoptions
Letter adoption for the 2024 Operation Santa season kicked off on November 18. Letters to Santa must be postmarked by December 9 and adopters have until December 16 to send their gifts.
If you're interested in adopting a letter, the first step is to create and verify an account on the USPS Operation Santa website. Once verified, you can browse through all the available letters and choose which holiday wishes to fulfill.
You can even filter by state, family size and language (English or Español).
While the deadline to ship your gifts isn't until mid-December, adopting letters now and sending as early as possible lets families know their needs have been met.
Operation Santa and Toys "R" Us new feature for 2024
New this year, the postal service has partnered with Toys “R” Us to introduce "Santa's Gift Shoppe," an online catalog that makes it easier for participants to find and send gifts.
USPS said the introduction of Santa’s Gift Shoppe marks the first of what it hopes to be several collaborations in expanding its online catalog to include clothing, shoes, books and more.
