In case you weren't aware, every year millions of children and sometimes adults across the country send letters to Santa Claus containing special Christmas requests.
The United States Postal Services (USPS) has been making some of those wishes come true through Operation Santa. The program, which is now in its 105th year, was started in 1912 by Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock, when he authorized local Postmasters to allow employees and citizens to reply to letters addressed to Santa.
By 1940, the program was so popular that the USPS enlisted charitable organizations, community groups and businesses to respond to families who have sent letters.
As Christmas approaches, the program is once again making wishes come true by responding to as many letters as possible. This year, there's a special focus on letters sent by families in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where residents are still struggling to rebuild their lives after the hurricanes.
Once again, the USPS is in need of Santa's helpers to make these holiday wishes come true.
If you're looking to make a difference this Christmas, you can join Operation Santa by visiting a participating USPS office.
You will be able to rummage through a ton of letters and chose a wish you can fulfill. Sometimes all that's required is a letter, but there are some cases where you'll need to send a gift.
Simply let the postal clerk know when you've purchased your gift or written a letter, so they can send the package to the child or family.
This year, for the first time in the history of Operation Santa, USPS has launched a website where you can search and adopt a letter if you live in the New York City area, and can drop off packages at the James A. Farley Building.
There is no specific deadline to adopt a letter, however some offices will stop accepting packages as early as December 8th.
So if you're interested in participating, you might want to hurry up.