HONOLULU — The U.S. Postal Service announced that, for the first time ever, keiki from across Hawai‘i will be able to participate in its USPS Operation Santa letter-writing program.
The program allows volunteers to “adopt” letters and fulfill Christmas wishes by sending gifts in Santa’s place.
With many island families struggling due to financial or health issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, some parents may not be able to fulfill their children’s holiday wishes this year. That’s where USPS Operation Santa comes in.
USPS has a tradition of connecting kids with Santa, through their Christmas-wish letters that are written and mailed every year. This year, theUSPS is connecting Hawai‘i kids in need of holiday cheer with volunteer “Santas” in the state.
USPS Operation Santa offers volunteers the opportunity to “adopt” kids’ letters to Santa Claus and fulfill their holiday wish lists.
Since its beginning in 1912, the USPS Operation Santa program has helped to connect millions of children and their families with generous adopters. In recent years, the program transitioned from a hard-copy program hosted by certain post offices to a digital program that allows customers to access Santa letters at the USPS Operation Santa web site.
This is the first year that the entire country — from Kaua‘i to Maine — is able to participate.
Hawai‘i residents are encouraged to go online and adopt a letter to help a child have a happy holiday. Letters can be filtered by state. Details on how to adopt a Santa letter and a history of the program are available at USPSOperationSanta.com
Here are some characteristics of a good letter to Santa:
• It’s legible;
• It has a return address either on the envelope, in the letter, or both;
• It has specific asks — including sizes, styles, colors, titles and names;
• It is addressed correctly;
• It has a postage stamp.
To participate in the program as a potential holiday-gift recipient, all children need to do is write a letter to Santa, put it in an envelope (don’t forget the stamp) with a return address, and send it to the USPS Operation Santa official workshop address:
Santa Claus
123 Elf Road
North Pole
88888
Letters are accepted now through Dec. 15. Letters will be available for adoption beginning Friday, Dec. 4.
