Operation Santa Claus in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment invites you to “Movie Night” this Friday, December 14th.

We will be watching Love’s Christmas Journey and will be tweeting all night about the movie. Grab some comfy pillows and blankets, a mug of hot chocolate,some cookies and your family and friends to watch this great Christmas movie with us. We will be asking questions about them movie throughout the evening and would love to visit with you online.

Buy the movie here or search the Hallmark Channel and schedule it to record so you can watch it with us.

How to Win

Join us on Twitter during movie night as we will be tweeting about the movie all evening and will be asking a lot of questions about events in the movie. Since people from all over the country will be watching, we are not setting hours, but will be tweeting during the evening hours up until Midnight EST.

Use @OperationSanta and the hashtag #HallmarkSanta to be eligible to win one of our our three GREAT prizes. We also invite you to join us on on Facebook page here, and we absolutely want you to join us on Twitter!

We look forward to “seeing” you!

Click here to learn how you can make a child’s Christmas wish come true.

Visit the James A. Farley Post Office on the dates listed below to read and answer “Dear Santa” letters from very needy children this Christmas season.

Location

James A. Farley Post Office
421 8th Avenue, New York, NY
(212) 330-3000

Operation Santa Dates

December 5-24 (Closed on Sundays)

Hours of Operation

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 9am – 4pm

Thursday: 9am to 7pm

Saturday: 9am to 4pm

Operation Santa: Becoming Saint Nick for a Season

Source: BeyondThePerf.com

Around Christmastime in the early 1900s, New York City postal clerks grew dismayed over the number of letters being “sent” to the North Pole that would never reach their final destination. Realizing that many of the letters expressed real needs from real children, the clerks began chipping together their lunch money to respond to the letters going unanswered. They purchased and personally delivered the gifts requested by the neediest children.

But with each year, the number of letters seemed to grow, and the needs along with it. To ease the burden, in 1912, Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local postmasters throughout the country to share these letters with the public. And so Operation Santa was born.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, the Operation Santa program has since evolved into a multicity enterprise, with each sponsoring location working together with individuals, local businesses, charitable organizations, and corporations to meet needs from coast to coast. New York City, the birthplace of the program, still receives the most letters (more than 500,000 each year), but dozens of other areas have signed up to host their own 2012 programs.

Any letters addressed to “Santa Claus, North Pole” remain in the area where they were mailed. Postal “elves” then sort through these letters, setting aside any that express great need and removing any personal contact information. At that point, individuals wishing to respond on Santa’s behalf can go to their local Post Office, choose a letter that touches them and fits their budget, and return to the Post Office with their gift ready to mail to the child. The Postal Service ensures that all the packages make their way to the right destinations.

Those packages can include anything from toothbrushes to clothes to computers. “These children are wishing for the moon,” says Pete Fontana, Operation Santa’s chief elf. “They’re asking for what they can’t afford, what their parents can’t give them.”

“One year we had a letter that had a special-needs wheelchair,” Fontana adds. “The wheelchair cost over $20,000 to purchase. I made sure that this particular letter made it into the daily newspaper here. The next day, I had that wheelchair.”

It’s just one heartwarming example of countless tales Fontana could tell about the generosity of program participants. Even during economically hard-hit years such as 2010, the New York City location pulled in “boxes to the ceiling — literally,” he says. “They had to bring tractor-trailers in to take out all of the boxes for Santa Claus.”

And hopes are high for 2012. If all goes according to plan, the reindeer can expect even more of a workout — one that’s worthy of this special program’s anniversary.

Click here to learn how you can make a child’s Christmas wish come true.

This is a list of the West Virginia USPS location(s) that are participating in Operation Santa this year. Please bookmark this page as we may be updating it during the Christmas season.

Click here to download PDF of all participating post office locations in the country.

Great Cacapon PO

5010 Central Avenue
Great Cacapon, WV 25422

Days of Operations

Monday–Saturday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm, and 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Saturday 8:00 am – 11:00 am

Contact

Rick Dunn (304) 258-1012

Green Bank PO

Rt.28t/92& Wesley Chapel Road
Green Bank, WV 24944

Days of Operations

Monday–Friday 8:00 am – 12:30 pm, and 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Contact

Dorris Stump (304) 456-4081

The Operation Santa Claus rules are as follows:

• All “Dear Santa” letters are to be picked up at a post office in person. “Dear Santa” letters will no longer be sent out by mail and telephone requests are no longer accepted.
• Companies and organizations can pick up letters by appointment only with your local post office if that facility has “Dear Santa” letters available. You will need to present a letter of introduction on company letterhead and a valid ID.
• Individuals wishing to answer “Dear Santa” letters are not required to make an appointment. Please contact your local postmaster to see if Operation Santa Claus is available in your area at this time.
• All “Dear Santa” helpers must agree with the USPS Privacy Act Statement listed on the PS Form 6012-1 (Operation Santa Letter Adoption Individual) and PS Form 6012 (Operation Santa Letter Adoption Third Party).
• All “Dear Santa” helpers are required to show one piece of acceptable identification.

Questions:

This is a list of the Wisconsin USPS location(s) that are participating in Operation Santa this year. Please bookmark this page as we may be updating it during the Christmas season.

Click here to download PDF of all participating post office locations in the country.

Stitzer Post Office

4011 Commercial Street
Stitzer, WI 53825

Days of Operations

Monday–Saturday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm,
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Contact

Victoria Steinbach (608) 943-8378

The Operation Santa Claus rules are as follows:

• All “Dear Santa” letters are to be picked up at a post office in person. “Dear Santa” letters will no longer be sent out by mail and telephone requests are no longer accepted.
• Companies and organizations can pick up letters by appointment only with your local post office if that facility has “Dear Santa” letters available. You will need to present a letter of introduction on company letterhead and a valid ID.
• Individuals wishing to answer “Dear Santa” letters are not required to make an appointment. Please contact your local postmaster to see if Operation Santa Claus is available in your area at this time.
• All “Dear Santa” helpers must agree with the USPS Privacy Act Statement listed on the PS Form 6012-1 (Operation Santa Letter Adoption Individual) and PS Form 6012 (Operation Santa Letter Adoption Third Party).
• All “Dear Santa” helpers are required to show one piece of acceptable identification.

Questions:

This is a list of the Texas USPS location(s) that are participating in Operation Santa this year. Please bookmark this page as we may be updating it during the Christmas season.

Click here to download PDF of all participating post office locations in the country.

Houston District

600 N Sam Houston Pkwy W
Houston, TX 77067

Days of Operations

Monday–Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Contact

Dionne Montague (713) 226-3278

San Antonio AMF

10250 John Saunders Road
San Antonio, TX 78246

Days of Operations

Monday–Sunday 8:00 am – 10:00 pm,
1:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Contact

Esther Carrasco (210) 368-8498

The Operation Santa Claus rules are as follows:

• All “Dear Santa” letters are to be picked up at a post office in person. “Dear Santa” letters will no longer be sent out by mail and telephone requests are no longer accepted.
• Companies and organizations can pick up letters by appointment only with your local post office if that facility has “Dear Santa” letters available. You will need to present a letter of introduction on company letterhead and a valid ID.
• Individuals wishing to answer “Dear Santa” letters are not required to make an appointment. Please contact your local postmaster to see if Operation Santa Claus is available in your area at this time.
• All “Dear Santa” helpers must agree with the USPS Privacy Act Statement listed on the PS Form 6012-1 (Operation Santa Letter Adoption Individual) and PS Form 6012 (Operation Santa Letter Adoption Third Party).
• All “Dear Santa” helpers are required to show one piece of acceptable identification.

Questions:

This is a list of the Pennsylvania USPS location(s) that are participating in Operation Santa this year. Please bookmark this page as we may be updating it during the Christmas season.

Click here to download PDF of all participating post office locations in the country.

Philadelphia Main

3000 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Days of Operations

November 26–December 14
Monday–Friday 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Contact

Jane Maull Kirk (215) 895-8610

The Operation Santa Claus rules are as follows:

• All “Dear Santa” letters are to be picked up at a post office in person. “Dear Santa” letters will no longer be sent out by mail and telephone requests are no longer accepted.
• Companies and organizations can pick up letters by appointment only with your local post office if that facility has “Dear Santa” letters available. You will need to present a letter of introduction on company letterhead and a valid ID.
• Individuals wishing to answer “Dear Santa” letters are not required to make an appointment. Please contact your local postmaster to see if Operation Santa Claus is available in your area at this time.
• All “Dear Santa” helpers must agree with the USPS Privacy Act Statement listed on the PS Form 6012-1 (Operation Santa Letter Adoption Individual) and PS Form 6012 (Operation Santa Letter Adoption Third Party).
• All “Dear Santa” helpers are required to show one piece of acceptable identification.

Questions:

This is a list of the Ohio USPS location(s) that are participating in Operation Santa this year. Please bookmark this page as we may be updating it during the Christmas season.

Click here to download PDF of all participating post office locations in the country.

La Pine Main

51649 S Huntington
La Pine, OR 97739

Days of Operations

Monday–Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Contact
Myndi Harden (541) 536-7452

The Operation Santa Claus rules are as follows:

• All “Dear Santa” letters are to be picked up at a post office in person. “Dear Santa” letters will no longer be sent out by mail and telephone requests are no longer accepted.
• Companies and organizations can pick up letters by appointment only with your local post office if that facility has “Dear Santa” letters available. You will need to present a letter of introduction on company letterhead and a valid ID.
• Individuals wishing to answer “Dear Santa” letters are not required to make an appointment. Please contact your local postmaster to see if Operation Santa Claus is available in your area at this time.
• All “Dear Santa” helpers must agree with the USPS Privacy Act Statement listed on the PS Form 6012-1 (Operation Santa Letter Adoption Individual) and PS Form 6012 (Operation Santa Letter Adoption Third Party).
• All “Dear Santa” helpers are required to show one piece of acceptable identification.

Questions: