@ USPS Operation Santa

[pixy0stix]

Think Angel Tree, but on a national scale. 

www.uspsoperationsanta.com/

[eclaires]

Gonna be so broke between this and giving tree (our school program I’m co-chair of - I see all the tags and so many come home with me. Can’t resist!).

[aspentosh]

This is amazing.

[AAM2012]

Thanks for sharing, love this!!! Does anyone know if this is new this year?

Edit: for some reason it’s not letting me filter or giving me any lists. Anyone else?

[biscoffcookies]

Nov 20, 2019 18:57:31 GMT -5 AAM2012 said:

Thanks for sharing, love this!!! Does anyone know if this is new this year?

It's not! The big website set up was rolled out nationally last year. Before that, some post offices (like the one where I live) did it locally -- you would literally go I to the post office, read through hard copy letters, pick the ones you want, then return the packages to our post office -- but they dropped them off to the recipients outside the regular postal system (it sounded like USPS employees volunteered their time maybe to make deliveries?) so you didn't pay shipping. Now you pick your letter on the website and mail them the regular way.

I have been doing this for a couple of years. Some of the letters are just heartbreaking, like teenagers who write that they really need a winter coat and that's basically all they ask for.

I like to throw in little stocking-like bonuses on top of the "real" gifts the kids have asked for. And I will also often add something for the mom/dad -- in the past I have given Body Shop items, hand cream, or gift cards to Walmart, Amazon, or the local grocery store. The parents never ask for anything for themselves.

[Deleted]

Nov 20, 2019 18:57:31 GMT -5 AAM2012 said:

Thanks for sharing, love this!!! Does anyone know if this is new this year?

Edit: for some reason it’s not letting me filter or giving me any lists. Anyone else?

It's not letting me either so if someone figures it out, please share with the class!

[BlondeSpiders]

I just went to sign up and it said "No letters for now!"

I'd like to think it's because so many people have signed up and that no one will go without.

[biscoffcookies]

Nov 20, 2019 19:35:11 GMT -5 BlondeSpiders said:

I just went to sign up and it said "No letters for now!"

I'd like to think it's because so many people have signed up and that no one will go without.

Check back later. You can adopt letters well into December, and I believe they are added as they are received. It may just be they haven't gotten them yet or uploaded them.

[Jalapeñomel]

I clicked on families and it worked.


Thanks for sharing!

[secretlyevil]

I’ve been checking regularly since I found out and haven’t been able to see a letter yet. I’ll keep checking, hoping not a glitch.

[RoxMonster]

I would love to do this, but also keep getting a message that there are no letters. I'll keep checking back.

[ssmjlm]

There are letters this morning, but FYI, if you don't have an account, I would make one first. I clicked on a letter and after I registered for an account it didn't keep that letter and I can't find it now.

[aspentosh]

I am not trying to say "no skittles for poor people" but I need to find someone not asking for a hoverboard, iPhone, computer, etc. Has anyone seen one? Are they out there? I wish I could buy something that big for them

[ssmjlm]

Nov 21, 2019 9:08:07 GMT -5 aspentosh said:

I am not trying to say "no skittles for poor people" but I need to find someone not asking for a hoverboard, iPhone, computer, etc. Has anyone seen one? Are they out there? I wish I could buy something that big for them

I'm having a hard time just getting letters to adopt.  I've tried 3x with no luck.

I saw several that were Barbies and LOL dolls.  I was even trying to do one that asked for an AG doll knowing Costco has Wellie Wishers, but missed that letter also.

[AAM2012]

I’m guessing after Thanksgiving they’ll start getting a lot more.

[pixy0stix]

I think it's great that there are no letters. It means that people are snatching them up!

[icedcoffee]

Thanks for sharing! Where do these letters come from? Is there an address people just randomly send them to?

We do an angel tree at work so I'll probably stick with that one this year, but this is cool!

[joy]

I would bet not too many kids sent letters yet, too. It’s still pre-Thanksgiving and I bet the numbers will uptick next week.

Allegedly, 15 cities across the US are participating in this organized effort this year. I found a short article: www.google.com/amp/s/patch.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/amp/28420431/philadelphia-one-15-cities-participating-operation-santa

[joy]

Nov 21, 2019 9:58:47 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Thanks for sharing! Where do these letters come from? Is there an address people just randomly send them to?

We do an angel tree at work so I'll probably stick with that one this year, but this is cool!

All letters with correct North Pole addresses go to the North Pole. Ha. The majority are addressed to “Santa, North Pole” and can’t go anywhere. These letters are collected by the postal workers and fed into this system.

[pixy0stix]

Nov 21, 2019 10:00:55 GMT -5 joy said:

Nov 21, 2019 9:58:47 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Thanks for sharing! Where do these letters come from? Is there an address people just randomly send them to?

We do an angel tree at work so I'll probably stick with that one this year, but this is cool!

All letters with correct North Pole addresses go to the North Pole. Ha. The majority are addressed to “Santa, North Pole” and can’t go anywhere. These letters are collected by the postal workers and fed into this system.

Not exactly.

This is how they're getting the letters - beanelf.org/writing-to-santa/

[icedcoffee]

Nov 21, 2019 10:20:08 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Nov 21, 2019 10:00:55 GMT -5 joy said:

All letters with correct North Pole addresses go to the North Pole. Ha. The majority are addressed to “Santa, North Pole” and can’t go anywhere. These letters are collected by the postal workers and fed into this system.

Not exactly.

This is how they're getting the letters - beanelf.org/writing-to-santa/

Thanks!  This is helpful.  I was wondering how they filter out letters from my kid who just wants to write to Santa versus someone who may otherwise not get gifts.

[joy]

Nov 21, 2019 10:28:44 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Nov 21, 2019 10:20:08 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Not exactly.

This is how they're getting the letters - beanelf.org/writing-to-santa/

Thanks!  This is helpful.  I was wondering how they filter out letters from my kid who just wants to write to Santa versus someone who may otherwise not get gifts.

I had the same question! Thanks, pixy0stix.

[notreal]

I just spent way too long trying to figure out why the website was bean elf and what that meant.

[dexteroni]

It won't let me register. It keeps saying my address and cell phone # don't match. But...that's what they are. Anyone else having a similar problem?

[Deleted]

Nov 21, 2019 11:06:35 GMT -5 dexteroni said:

It won't let me register. It keeps saying my address and cell phone # don't match. But...that's what they are. Anyone else having a similar problem?

It says it can’t verify my identity either. 🤷‍♀️

[dexteroni]

Nov 21, 2019 11:29:18 GMT -5 @bugginnine said:

Nov 21, 2019 11:06:35 GMT -5 dexteroni said:

It won't let me register. It keeps saying my address and cell phone # don't match. But...that's what they are. Anyone else having a similar problem?

It says it can’t verify my identity either. 🤷‍♀️

Ok so it's not just me. It's disappointing that there aren't other verification options. I was excited to do this. 

[Captain Catnip]

Nov 21, 2019 11:44:27 GMT -5 dexteroni said:

Nov 21, 2019 11:29:18 GMT -5 @bugginnine said:

It says it can’t verify my identity either. 🤷‍♀️

Ok so it's not just me. It's disappointing that there aren't other verification options. I was excited to do this. 

Once I input my Bday it worked for me.

[Aloe Vera]

Nov 21, 2019 11:06:35 GMT -5 dexteroni said:

It won't let me register. It keeps saying my address and cell phone # don't match. But...that's what they are. Anyone else having a similar problem?

Are you the owner of the account? When I tried to register my phone # for some IRS stuff, it said it didn't match. Then I remembered that my ILs are the owner of the account (there are 11 people on it).

[dexteroni]

Nov 21, 2019 12:37:07 GMT -5 Aloe Vera said:

Nov 21, 2019 11:06:35 GMT -5 dexteroni said:

It won't let me register. It keeps saying my address and cell phone # don't match. But...that's what they are. Anyone else having a similar problem?

Are you the owner of the account? When I tried to register my phone # for some IRS stuff, it said it didn't match. Then I remembered that my ILs are the owner of the account (there are 11 people on it).

No, my DH is. But my cell # and our address are both on the account, so their reasoning still doesn't make sense. I could see if they said my name didn't match, but it specified cell # and address. Oh well.
 

Nov 21, 2019 11:45:56 GMT -5 Captain Catnip said:

Once I input my Bday it worked for me.

I tried that, but it didn't change anything.

[keyslover]

Do you have to be in one of the cities to participate? I'm curious because I keep seeing "no letters".
I did make and verify an account.