How To Mail A Letter To Santa From San Rafael

SAN RAFAEL, CA — As the costs of food, gas and other necessities rise across the United States, the holidays could be particularly bleak for some U.S. families. Many children could wake up on Christmas morning to find Santa missed their homes altogether.

It's a heartbreaking realization for any parent or child, especially as families continue to recover from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

However, the U.S. Postal Service is hoping San Rafael residents will step up to help make the holidays a little merrier and brighter for families who may be experiencing financial hardship.

For the second consecutive year, the Postal Service is taking its Operation Santa program nationwide. The program, which dates back to 1912, encourages kids from across the country to write letters to "Santa." Once the letters are received and posted online, others are encouraged to "adopt" and respond to one or more letters of their choosing. Adopting a letter typically means fulfilling one or numerous requests on the child’s wish list.

Anyone in the United States is allowed to write a letter, regardless of religion or denomination, according to the Postal Service's website. Letters requesting clothes and shoes should include sizes and colors. Those requesting toys, games and books should be specific.

How To Mail A Letter

1) Any family with a child who wants to write to Santa should use this "official" post office address:

• Santa Claus, 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888

2) Write your full name and return address in the upper left corner of the envelope. Then, apply a first-class stamp in the upper right.

3) Letters will be posted to the USPSOperationSanta.com website. Letter adoptions opened on Nov. 29 and will continue through Dec. 22.

4) Drop the letter off at your nearest post office.

• Civic Center San Rafael Post Office: 2 Civic Center Dr., San Rafael, CA (Open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.)
• San Rafael Post Office: 40 Bellam Blvd., San Rafael, CA (Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.)
• Terra Linda Post Office: 603 Del Ganado Road, San Rafael, CA (Open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.)

5) All letters must be postmarked by Dec. 10. Once letters are received, they will be posted online through Dec. 15 and will be available for adoption through Dec. 22. The sooner your letter is received, the more likely it is to be answered.

More details on writing and adopting letters through the Operation Santa program can be found at USPSOperationSanta.com.