This Secret Santa Program Could Be a Lifeline for Struggling Parents This Holiday Season
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The holidays are nearing, and it’s been a tough year for many. If you’re a parent, you know the stress that can come with wanting to make the season special for your kids—even when it feels like a stretch.
Luckily, there’s a Secret Santa program that could be a lifeline for struggling parents this holiday season! The program is called The USPS Operation Santa and if you are in need of a miracle this Christmas, you’ll want to be part of this program.
What is The USPS Operation Santa?
USPS Operation Santa is a special program that allows kids to write letters to ‘Santa,’ sharing their holiday wishes. These letters are then adopted by Santa’s helpers—generous people like you and me—who go shopping to make those wishes come true, delivering gifts to children across the country. Those who adopt letters remain anonymous, keeping the magic alive, because after all, these gifts are from Santa!
How to Send Letters to Santa
If you have a child that you’d like to help give gifts to this holiday season, you will want to have them write a letter to Santa with their holiday wish list. Make sure it is addressed to Santa at the address below and has a stamp on it too!
Things your child will want to include in the letter are:
- First name
- Last name
- Full return address (where you want the presents sent to)
- Their holiday wishes (try to be specific such as sizes for clothing, favorite colors, etc.)
Send your child’s letter to Santa to:
Santa
123 Elf Road
North Pole, 88888
2024 USPS Operation Santa Deadlines
It is important to know that there are deadlines when you can send your letters to Santa. After all, he needs time to make all the toys! The 2024 deadlines are:
- September 16, 2024 – The mailroom begins accepting letters to Santa
- November 4, 2024 – Registration opens for adopters
- November 18, 2024 – Adoptions start. If adopting a letter, make sure to shop and send the gifts as soon as possible.
- December 9, 2024 – Last call for letters to Santa (make sure all letters are postmarked by this date)
- December 16, 2024 – Last day to adopt letters and ship items to kids to ensure delivery by Christmas
Things to remember:
- USPS has free Dear Santa letter templates on their website you can print and have kids fill out.
- For a family: group all your family’s letters in one envelope and include additional stamps depending on the weight
- For an organization or classroom: send all letters individually in their own standard size letter envelope, each with a First-Class stamp
- Don’t include any 3D art
- You can submit a letter even if you don’t have an existing USPS Operation Santa account
While this isn’t a guarantee your Santa letter will be adopted, this is a great program to use to try to make the holidays magical for your kids. And if you don’t need help, this is a great program to participate in and help make Christmas one to remember for kids in need.
You can learn about the USPS Operation Santa Program Here.
