Armies of anonymous Santas answer Christmas call

For many needy children this year, Santa will slip his gifts into the mailbox instead of sliding them down the chimney.Secret Santas and their donated gifts poured into post offices around the nation after the U.S. Postal Service's Operation Santa received widespread news media attention last week, including a front page article in USA TODAY.

The Postal Service's Operation Santa matches children's — and their parents'— letters to Santa with anonymous donors who agree to buy some of the gifts on their wish list and return them to the post office for delivery before Christmas. This year, the letters reflected unusual economic hardship as many children requested basic items, such as warm clothes, instead of toys.

New York City Post Office's Head Elf Pete Fontana, a Postal Service employee, said the response this year is "quadruple" last year.

"It's like a miracle," Fontana said. "Hundreds and hundreds, maybe even thousands, of packages are just pouring in here. We can't even keep count. We've never had a week like this before."

Rene Febles, special agent in charge at the New York regional inspector general's office for the U.S. Department of Housing, read the article and called a fellow federal agent at the Postal Service to find out how he could help.

"That there were parents who were distressed that they couldn't get their children gifts really spoke to me," said Febles, a father of three. "We, as federal employees, are lucky to have jobs. It's our obligation to help those who don't. I don't think I could see a kid wake up on Christmas and not even get a gift."

Febles contacted Housing and Urban Development inspector general offices nationwide to tell other special agents about the program and urge them to participate. Febles' colleagues in the New York office adopted three families. "Everyone in the office has chipped in," he said.

The main post office in New York City will have letters available for adoption by secret Santas until 7 p.m. Thursday. Employees will deliver the gifts through what is known in New York as "Little Christmas" or Three Kings Day on Jan. 6, Fontana said.

The Chicago post office received about 15,000 letters, but not all will be adopted, spokesman Mark Reynolds said.

"It'll probably be a little less than last year, but we'll see," Reynolds said. "People were still picking out letters Monday, and tons of people came in to mail their gifts."

In Philadelphia, Secret Santas had adopted 246 of the 325 letters by Tuesday evening, U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman Sue Brennan said. In Boston, more than half of 1,100 letters have been adopted. In San Francisco, about 240 of 600 letters have been adopted.

The post office in Washington received more than 600 letters from needy children, and almost half have been adopted, said spokeswoman Sharon Tennison. Secret Santas have until 5 p.m. Wednesday to adopt letters. Gifts must be returned to the post office by 5 p.m. Thursday.

"People are determined to get those packages into us because they see the need," Tennison said. "It's been overwhelming. It's just a freefall of giving. It's been wonderful."

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