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 1 Letters to Santa Reveal Need — Basic Story

Many letters are written to Santa Claus each year. The letters are addressed to the North Pole. Lots of them are
stacking up at post offices.
People who work in one post office are reading the letters. They are looking for letters from needy families.
These letters are put in piles with the same zip codes.
Once letters are sorted other people can adopt a child or family to help. People, families, and businesses can
choose one or more letters and send gifts to the person or family who wrote it. Most people like to deliver the
gifts to the homes, but gifts can also be mailed.
One man who works at the post office said he has seen a lot of letters to Santa come in this year. Many of the
letters are asking for clothes.
He also said that the need seems to be greater this time of year. "I've seen more letters come in at the beginning
of this holiday season than any other," he said.
A woman chose two letters from children who live near her. She wants to help teach her daughter about the
importance of giving to others in need. They will buy gifts for the children who wrote the letters.
Many children and families in need are writing letters to Santa this year. Lots of kind people are getting these
letters and trying to help make wishes come true this holiday season.

 2 Letters to Santa Reveal Need — Full Story

They may be addressed to the North Pole, but letters to Santa Claus from needy area children have already
started stacking up at post offices.
In Sacramento, for the 17th year, Post Office employees are reading through the letters, identifying those from
needy families, and filing them according to zip code. The letters are then housed at the Dear Santa Letter
Station at a post office in Sacramento.
Then it's up to the area residents. Individuals, families, and businesses can choose a letter or letters and adopt a
needy child or family. Sacramento Post Office spokesman Ralph Petty said people like to come in and find
letters from children who live near them.
Petty also said the need seems to be greater this Christmas. "This year, I've already seen more letters come in at
the beginning of the holiday season than I've seen in years past," said Petty.
"And the letters I'm seeing this year are a lot different. These are kids asking for clothes."
A woman from Sacramento chose two letters from children who live near her. "I know the importance of
giving to others in need. I just feel that love should be spread this year," she said. She plans on involving her
daughter in the gift-giving project. "I want her to get out there and experience the importance of giving."
Petty said most people like to deliver gifts directly to the homes, but gifts can be mailed.
Not every letter to Santa is written by a child. There was also a letter from a young mother who recently fled
from her violent husband and is trying to raise a three-year-old girl. The individual who chose this letter said
"This one really touched me."
"I feel like we have a lot and others don't have so much."
For information on a similar project in your area, check with your local post office.

 3 address

the written directions on a letter

 4 adopt

to take on the responsibility of

 5 gifts

presents; things given

 6 kind

nice; thoughtful

 7 needy

very poor; needing a lot

 8 North Pole

the place some say Santa lives

 9 post office

a place that handles mail to be delivered

 10 Santa Claus

some people say this man brings gifts at Christmas

 11 sort

to separate and arrange

 12 zip code

a number that identifies areas

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