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PAGE 22 Santa? % Helpers Stare In lie Jty/ (MS) - Thousands of children participate in the yearly tradition of writing letters to Santa Claus. While verbiage and style vary, the same general theme applies: Children request a host of gifts upon declaring they've been good little boys and girls. While the big man in red doesn't have the time to answer them all, he does have a legion of willing helpers to take over some of the work. ? All over the country, and also in other areas of the world, local postal workers volunteer their services toward making sure Santa letters get read and, hopefully, answered. Sometimes a gift is also included. In Canada, there is a special postal code for letters to Santa Claus. Since 1982, over 13,000 Canadian postal workers have volunteered to answer letters to Santa. The \ address of Santa Claus is given as: Santa Claus, North Pole, Canada HO HO HO. The postal code features *\* zeroes for the O's, sticking with the . • —<T'\ 1 * H Canadian alternat ing letter-num ber format of / i postal codes. In the U.S., one such , notable • orga niza- jjfvjj tionthat has Get Cialt® lith: The Kids lis Holiday I 'S&mM I •.. V. I / ~J ,.j£.wL ..a been providing assistance in letter-writing for years is Operation Santa Claus out of New York City. According to the organi zation's official Web site, Operation Santa Claus began informally in the early 19205, when New York postal clerks began chip ping in their own money to buy gifts for poor kids whose notes to Santa ended up in the dead-letter office. As the number of letters grew, the clerks asked for help from the public. Today, volunteers stop by the New York General Post office on Bth Avenue to pick from the thousands of letters received, most from disadvantaged children who could use some cheer around the holidays. Upon writ ing a response to the child, most spring for a gift as well. The majority of the let ters are from but others A in from out m Most are fl addressed Jj|| Claus; Claus, and Santa _4m J) k mwm HB tZ ' •. \ ',*’v »\Ur wf riaKi If you're looking for a clever way to inter act with your children, engage them in a holiday craft project that they can enjoy! Making homemade holiday ornaments can become an annual family tradition. An easy way to craft ornaments that will last through the years is to use a simple recipe for salt dough. Not only is salt dough inexpensive and easy to make, you probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen pan fry. A perfect way to spend a snowy after noon or evening in front of the fireplace, whip up a batch of salt dough using this simple recipe. Mold it into favorite holiday shapes (stars, gingerbread men, Christmas trees, menorahs and more), and let the kids decorate to their heart's content. the NY area, do come of town, simply W to Santa WSa n t a J North Pole Claus, New W York. W While most ■ volunteers, who r vary from parents to office workers to corporate execu §3 tives, make the ri trip to the post if office to pick up f§s letters, postal volunteers also take the time to send letters to people in other parts of the country. Many of them are former New Yorkers who still want to participate in this winning tradition. Other post offices around the U.S. have started up similar perations in f j| their odn local areas based on the success of ii Operation Santa Claus in . New York City. J Volunteers say C 1 / K the main motiva- *—' ‘I 1 tion is bringing joy V j / to children's lives \J/ and reading the heartfelt words children express in their letters. One postal employee remembered a child writing, "I'd like some thing for Christmas." Anything was fine, he said, because he "didn't get nothing last year." Another heartbreaking tale was from a seven-year-old homeless boy who lived with his mother and younger sister. In his letter, the boy indicated that \ he > didn't need K anything for K Christmas; \\ t he could V . 'v'l take care of \ Himself. He i just wondered if Santa could send some dia pers and maybe a blan- ■ ket for his baby sis- f V Supplies: 4 cups flour 1 cup salt 1 1/2 cups hot water Holiday cookie cut- , ters { Decorations: glitter, paint, beads, ribbon, glue, etc. Knead the dough and roll it out to desired thickness to cut out shapes with cookie cut ters (just like if you were making sugar cook ies). Use a straw to poke a hole in the top of each ornament to create a spot to thread ribbon through for hanging. Place them on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on / % ’ I ■■ ter. To become involved with "Dear Santa" letters, check with your own post office to see if there is a local version of Operation Santa Claus. Or you may visit or contact Operation Santa Claus in New York. Volunteer postal workers will send you as many children's letters as you request, y Write to: Operation Santa Claus, James v VV A. Farley Building, 421 Eighth Avenue, \\ )1 Room 3023, New York NY 10199-9998. IVJ To get "Dear letters from ■ ’L. * v mm m?-*'"- i mm t, yy place o r n a - baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let the ornaments dry and harden in the oven for one hour to 1 1/2 hours. Paint and decorate as desired. Most of all, be creative, and have a lot of fun! CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE 2006 |\SMA>' ■ I "v Season Santa" the office, I the toll I free number, r 1-877-840- 0459. W high for j about two minutes. Or preheat your oven to => 325 F and ments on a