Every Christmas season, little Suzy writes her wish list, and sends it to Santa Claus of the North Pole. This year, Suzy’s family is on a tight budget, so Suzy isn’t asking for toys. Instead, she has asked Santa Claus for a pair of fuzzy gloves, hoping that they will keep her hands warm throughout the cold winter.

But who will answer little Suzy’s letter? How will Suzy ever receive her Christmas gift? The answer to these questions lies in the hands of thousands of volunteers all over America, but the journey of the letter begins at the post office.

For more than a hundred years, the Postal Services have been receiving “Letters to Santa” from children across the nation. At the postal office, employees open and sort the letters to Santa. Little Suzy’s letter, along with others from needy children, is copied onto a separate paper while the original is stored in a secure place. The letters from needy children are then placed in a public “adoption” area ready to be opened. To ensure the child’s safety, the postal employees cover up the child’s address by blacking it out and request that individuals present a valid ID before taking a letter.

Around the Christmas season, people who would like to adopt a letter of a child in need, will ask Postal Service associates if they can do so. Volunteers can adopt up to ten “Letters to Santa” and respond to the children’s letters by purchasing the items on their Christmas wish lists.

Yet, these letters are not only answered by individuals: charitable organizations, churches and corporations have also lent a helping hand in response to “Letters to Santa,” making children’s holiday wishes come true everywhere.

In Manhattan, a special post office specializes in answering such letters, providing gifts and responding to kids since 1920. This service receives over two million letters each year. However, these “Manhattan Santas” can’t fulfill all those requests, which is why there are 24 other post office locations in America that respond to children’s requests. Santa Claus, Indiana, for example, is a city that receives up to 30,000 letters a year from little boys and girls like Suzy asking Santa for special gifts.

Each year, millions of children across America write “Letters to Santa,” and to their utmost joy, have their wants answered. It isn’t only big corporations or charities that fulfill children’s holiday wishes; volunteers like you can also give a heartfelt gift to a child in need this Christmas season. In fact, the Diamond Bar post office offers a “Letters to Santa” program, so if you would like to adopt a letter, the post office on Diamond Bar Boulevard would be more than happy to send out your gifts.