It's not even December and already the San Francisco Post Office has received over 200 letters, all for Santa Claus. Tuesday, the postal service kicked off their Letters to Santa program, a call for volunteers to help Santa answer some of the kids' letters and hopefully provide a gift. This year though, some of the requests hit home.
"So many people have lost their jobs and that's what we see people asking for," says James Wigdel with the U.S. Postal Service. "'Please Santa, give my daddy a job.' or 'My daddy lost his job a month ago and we don't have a lot of food on the table, so bring us food.'"
Over 300 letters will move through this postal facility in the next two weeks. But it's not just kids writing Santa.
San Francisco resident Ronald Lewis dropped off a handful of letters from mothers and grandmothers all in need.
"This program through the years as I've dealt with it, it's helped out a lot of families that wouldn't have any clothes for school or that type of thing, even a television," he says.
No personal information on the child is released except their first name, age, and what they want from Santa. Making a child's holiday special is what the program is all about.
"If there is any way that I can help out, whether it's a little gift or even a little message from Santa, I'd love to be able to do that," says volunteer Amanda Johnson.
If you would like to help the post office help Santa, visit the San Francisco Post Office at 1300 Evans Avenue or call (415) 550-5005.
The Oakland Post Office is also participating and you can visit them at the Bay-Valley District Office at 201 13th Street or call (510) 251-3127.
