Postal Service pleads for more kid-in-need 'Dear Santa' letters after running out

The U.S. Postal Service launched Operation Santa online last week, giving hope to children and families in need that their holiday wishes will be fulfilled. 

So many people played Secret Santa, however, that the website ran out of letters. 

"We have had tremendous response," Kim Frum, a U.S. Postal Service senior public relations representative, told USA TODAY. "While it is a good problem to have, we are encouraging everyone to send in their letters so we can get more uploaded to the site to help as many kids as we can." 

Operation Santa went live on Monday and promptly ran out letters, Frum said. 

The Postal Service receives letters from children or families addressed to Santa Claus, scans a copy of the letter, redacts the identity and exact address of the receiver, and uploads it to uspsoperationsanta.com. Anonymous volunteers can register on the site and then choose a letter and send a toy, clothing or shoes.

The site now reads: "Yay! All the letters have been adopted."

Earlier last week, children were asking for a new coat, "Harry Potter Lego sets," "hamster stuff" and "for my family to be safe forever," plus an unlimited data plan and a new iPhone.

Last year, a child asked for a wheelchair and got it.

"We are uploading letters as fast as we can get them, after all the personally identifiable information is redacted," Frum said.

Operation Santa began in 1912 when employees were allowed to open letters and respond. The public was invited to participate in the 1940s with charitable donations. The program was upgraded for the digital era in 2018 with a pilot program in six cities. This year, Santa helpers can access letters from underprivileged children and families in 15 U.S. cities, from Sacramento, California, to Boston to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Letters should be adopted by Dec. 20.

“The letters we receive from the 15 participating cities are the ones which will populate the USPS Operation Santa website. So it’s important that people in those cities and surrounding areas send their letters as soon as possible,” Frum said.

Those who adopt letters online must still go to the designated post office to ship the gifts, Frum said. 

The Postal Service maintains a legacy program in New York and Chicago where letters can be adopted in person from Dec. 2 through Dec. 22.

To encourage more deserving children to write, the USPS has a letter-writing kit with templates that can be accessed at uspsoperationsanta.com/getinvolved. Letters are mailed to: 123 Elf Road, North Pole 88888.

All letters should be postmarked by Dec. 14.

Contributing: Susan Miller

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