What:

Local U.S. Postal Service employees will visit the Institute for Human Service’s Women’s & Family Shelter in Honolulu on Nov. 22 to introduce its USPS Operation Santa program and help the shelter’s keiki write their Christmas wish letters to Santa Claus.

“We’re excited to invite the shelter’s keiki to participate in our USPS Operation Santa program,” said USPS Holiday Spokesman Nelly Lang. “The families in this emergency shelter are facing many challenges and, like many island families dealing with their own issues, may have difficulty fulfilling their children’s holiday wishes this year. That’s where USPS Operation Santa comes in.

“We hope that our visit will result in the fulfillment of Christmas wishes for every keiki in the shelter who writes a Santa letter.”

During this event U.S. Postal Service employees will assist approximately 25 children with the creation and addressing of their Christmas wish letters to Santa.

USPS Operation Santa (USPSOperationSanta.com) is a free program administered by the U.S. Postal Service that accepts children’s letters to Santa and makes them securely available online for potential “adoption” by anonymous gift givers. Adopters fulfill keiki letter writers’ Christmas wishes by purchasing and sending them gifts on behalf of Santa.

In 2021 more than 21,000 Santa letters submitted from across the nation—including 131 from Hawaii--were adopted.

Who:

Allyssa Koki, IHS Children’s & Kahauiki Village Program Manager
Candice Moore, IHS Children’s Program Specialist
Nelly Lang, USPS Holiday Spokesperson

When:

2:15-3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22

Where:

Institute for Human Services
Women’s & Family Shelter
546 Kaaahi Street
Honolulu, HI 96817

Background:

IHS, The Institute for Human Services, Inc. is Hawaii's most comprehensive human services agency focused exclusively on ending or preventing homelessness. IHS serves nearly 7,000 individuals each year through a variety of services designed to address each individual or family’s unique homeless situation. IHS operates 11 homeless shelter sites, including 3 large congregate emergency shelters. Its Women’s & Family Shelter provides emergency shelter and services for up to 66 single women (including kupuna) and 100 family members.

Since its beginning in 1912, the USPS Operation Santa program has helped to connect millions of children and their families with generous adopters. In recent years, the program transitioned from a hard-copy program hosted by certain Post Offices to a digital program that allows customers to access Santa letters at the USPS Operation Santa web site.

To participate in the program as a potential holiday gift recipient, all children need to do is write a letter to Santa, put it in an envelope with appropriate postage, include their complete return address, and send it to the USPS Operation Santa workshop address:

Santa Claus
123 Elf Road
North Pole 88888

Letters must be postmarked by Dec. 12 and will be uploaded to the USPS Operation Santa website (USPSOperationSanta.com) through Dec. 19 for potential adoption.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations.

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