Letters to santa have arrived at post offices for more than a century, and for decades, the postal service has run operation santa to answer them. Postal worker refused to pickup my click and ship that i left at reception at my condo this morning. Holiday letters addressed to the fat man at the north pole never make it there, but they do make it to santa. Dear santa letters answered by us post office programme. The vast majority of letters for santa claus are addressed santa claus, north pole or just simply santa these letters are processed just like all the other letters, but because they do not have a complete address, the postal service mail sorting equipment processes them into a default area. People prepare to answer letters to santa through the post. Catherine hehmeyer, left, and coworker nicole williams look over several letters to santa from children to select one to adopt at the u. Santa writing letter with a postal elf in santa claus main. Roughly 17 million letters to santa have found their way to this arctic circle post office. Santa claus main post office rovaniemi, finland atlas. Another letter from a 12yearold wanted nothing for himself, just something. We see people who tell us that theyve just been really down on their luck. Post office begins letters to santa program cbs chicago.
Flat rate is great because you can buy the postage online and print the label, saving you a trip to the post office. Operation santa begins at chicagos old main post office. How and where operation santa program usps letters to. Postal employees go through the hundreds of thousands of letters addressed to santa claus, north pole, alaska to separate out those that express serious need. Operation santa, the 107yearold usps program that fulfills wish lists for. Use our quick tools to find locations, calculate prices, look. Santa ana district 3101 w sunflower avenue santa ana, ca 92799 december 4, 6, 11, 18 only. Operation santa is an annual letterwriting program through which members of the public respond to childrens letters addressed to santa claus, the north pole and other seasonal characters. However, they all seem to be asking for the same thing. Packages still have to be brought in person to the main james a. Great gift ideas for kids include backpacks or book bags for school, pens. The idea began in 1912 with postmaster general frank hitchcock, who. Santa claus main post office receives every year over 500 000 letters from all over world.
More than 18,000 letters to santa claus have been collected at chicago s main post office, officials said monday. If you live or work downtown, or want to pick up a handful of letters for your church, group or workplace, go to the chicago main post office at 433 w. Shereen morales of chicago packages letters to santa gifts at the main post office in chicago, illinois december 18, 2012. Time running out for post offices letters to santa program. Dear santa letters answered by us post office programme an oversized poster with santa claus address is on display at the entrance to the main post office in chicago, illinois. Chicago main post office 433 w harrison st chicago, il 60699 mondaysaturday 8. The postal services operation santa has expanded its digital reach. Usps operation santa launches online to make holidays happy. After you read what follows, then go to the usps site to adopt a letter to santa.
Both also post the letters to santa online before sending them on to santa. How to write a letter to north pole, with the address. Already theyve received about 2,500 letters this year. Santa claus is pretty busy these days, but that isnt keeping him from popping up at post offices across the nation. Chicago wls chicago s main post office is looking for a few good elves to help with operation santa.
With operation santa, individuals and organizations can send responses and. Post office branch of your choice, anywhere in the uk. As part of the program, people respond to letters to santa with their own letter and one. How and where operation santa program usps letters to santa. The change means albinis wife, heather whinna, can no longer cull through the thousands of letters that amass each winter at chicago s main post office, looking for the neediest families. Find information on our most convenient and affordable shipping and mailing services. Postal service spokeswoman robin anderson read from one of the 9,500 letters on display at chicagos main post office. Operation santa lands at chicagos main post office. Postal service employees nationwide are supporting operation santa, the annual program that allows families in need to write letters to santa claus for adoption by those who want to help. Letters are collected at the cardiss collins main post office, 433 w. Jordan hensley of chicago gets ready to ship her box to the letters to santa program at the main post office in chicago, illinois december 18, 2012.
Heres how the postal service handles those letters kids send to santa. The greetings from the north pole post office program adds to the excitement of christmas and is ideal for getting kids interested in letter writing, stamps and penmanship. Postal services cardiss collins main post office in chicago on dec. Info line 212 3303000 the machine may take a few rings to answer, but be patient. Girl writes to santa, asks for coat for her mother a little girl wrote a letter to santa, and asked for a coat for her mother. Another letter from a 12yearold wanted nothing for himself, just something for his single mother, because she worked so hard. In those cities, you may still read letters in person, alongside other volunteers, as in past years. Every winter, thousands of letters addressed to santa are routed to one mailbox in nuuk, greenland, where they are opened and read by a handful of volunteers from the small town of 17,000. Letters to santa are being shared among post office customers in nyc.
Letters to santa available at chicagos main post office. In streator, il, he picked up letters that young customers left for him in a special lobby mailbox. Anderson said that is typical of the letters the post office receives, sent to santa claus. Post offices still handle kids letters to santa news. Dear santa letters ready for pickup at chicago main post office chicago wls its very easy to write to santa.
Dear santa, ive been a good girl, i would like some new shoes, and some new clothes, and maybe a board game. Operation santa, a more than 100yearold tradition, lets volunteers answer. Operation santa lets chicagoans get in the holiday spirit chicago. The big man in red stopped by the old main post office downtown on wednesday to kick off operation santa. With thousands of letters to santa each year, the chicago post office. Hard copy letters will be available to adopt in chicago, december 4. Operation santa is a great reminder of what the season is all about and what great things we can. Thousands of letters pour in from both children and adults all from different walks of life. Letters to santa from needy chicagoans at chicagos main post office, 433 w. Post office this year asked only for covers for his bed, so i can stay warm this winter.
When the postal service plays santa the washington post. Dont forget to always include the postcode when sending an item. Each year chicagos post offices get 7,000 12,000 letters addressed to santa claus at the north pole. Chicago wls santa claus needs help filling the wishes of needy children across chicago. Postal service has started its annual operation santa program which allows members of the public to answer letters addressed to santa claus, the north pole from children. Sad santa letters tell of economic woes, usps says. In our larger branches you can now buy stamps and post parcels at our selfservice kiosks. Chicago s operation santa program is one of the largest in the country. First, a quick summary of the 3 main ways you can be an elf and below that, well go. Santa himself recently visited the chicago main post office to offer his encouragement to participants. This year the usps operation santa program is 107 years old. Local schoolchildren participate in an operation santa letter writing workshop at the lomita, ca, post office last week. There are only two that still offer the traditional walkin program, in new york city and chicago. You can pick up santa letters at three post office locations in chicago through dec.
Theres still time to answer a childs dear santa letter bizwomen. The postal service can help you receive letters from santa to your child complete with the north pole postmark. Operation santa to start at chicago post office update. Discover santa claus main post office in rovaniemi, finland. Use royal mails postcode finder to search for a uk. Volunteers aim to make christmas wishes come true video. Volunteers can go to the second floor of cardiss collins post office to pick up and respond tofulfill childrens letters to santa claus. Usps operation santa online now illinois newsroom ps. The united states post offices annual santa letter program. New york citys usps operation santa program is the largest in the country. According to the usps, thousands of people come into the main post office in chicago to answer the letters. At the time, postmaster general frank hitchcock authorized local postal. Chicago reuters one yearold boy who sent a dear santa letter to the u. In 1912, postmaster general frank hitchcock authorized local postmasters to allow.
We do have many, many letters where the kids are just requesting either toys or even blankets or coats, new york city postmaster kevin crocilla told the local cbs station. Louis, he attended a lobby event and taught customers to use selfservice kiosks. You can stop by chicagos old main post office monday through saturday 7. Letters to santa program heres how it works 20 find updated information about letters to santa here the results content will be refreshed once a page link is selected. Send dear santa letters now illinois newsroom about. Operation santa lets chicagoans get in the holiday spirit. As part of the program, people respond to letters to santa with their own letter and one of.
More than 300 letters to santa have arrived at the post office in washington, d. Thousands of letters to santa may go unanswered nbc chicago. Postal service spokesman mark reynolds said some of the letters are heartbreaking. Letters to santa program kicks off at main post office. Just address the envelope to him at the north pole, which happens to have the.
Here are the two branches which still permit the public to walk in and read letters at the branch. Operation santa gives families across the city hope and belief that there is magic in the spirt of the season, hall also said. Nyc post office customers help operation santa new york city. Postal services operation santa program at the main post office in chicago. Dear santa letters ready for pickup at chicago main post. Chicago wls chicagos main post office is looking for a few good elves to help with operation santa. In addition to customers, the program receives support from usps employees like mark wheeler, a greater michigan district operations programs support manager who attended a recent letter adoption event at the grand rapids, mi, main post office.