USPS Invites You To Participate in “Operation Santa”
Step up to the scale, pull out your red hat and fluff up that curly white beard. You, my kind-hearted reader, are invited to be Santa Claus.
The “Operation Santa” program has been a United States Postal Service tradition for almost 100 years. Beginning December 1, members of the public and charitable organizations will be able to “adopt” a letter written to Santa Claus and write a response to the child who wrote it. It’s one of the most successful initiatives offered by the Postal Service, and Post Offices all around the country participate.
The program in New York City is the largest in the country with tens of thousands of letters addressed to St. Nick, and it’s where USPS will kick off the seasonal fun with a special celebration at the one Post Office that receives the most letters in the country.
Details for the Kick-Off
December 1
11 a.m.
James A. Farley Post Office
481 Eighth Ave., New York City
Enter at the front entrance on Eighth Avenue at 33rd Street
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and on Thursdays until 7 p.m.
Personal information is removed from the letters and each is coded with a unique number. Customers will be asked to provide valid identification and sign PS-Form 6012 or 6012-I before accessing the letters. Potential Saint Nicks will be subject to taking 10 letters maximum in an effort to have as many letters as possible viewed and answered.
STAY TUNED / Not all Post Offices participate in the program. On December 1, USPS will also release a directory of Post Offices participating.
UPDATE / See this article update for more additional information.
