US Postal Service Operation Santa!

Last week I went to the post office in my community to send some items. I ran into the manager of that facility and recalled that we met about 3 years ago at the book and CD launch of my project Poems of Inspiration: A Daily Dose of Self Motivation.

We spoke a bit about how things are going in our respective lives and vocations. I told her about The Upbeat Dad and the vision I have for it and the overall success of it thus far. And I'm so glad we started that conversation. This blog post is based on the very exciting subject we discussed that day.

The US Postal Service has recently launched Operation Santa. The purpose of this "operation" is to allow individuals to fulfill the wishes of needy children during the Christmas season. How does is work? It's really simple:

1. Children write letters to Santa telling him what they would like as a Christmas present. These letters are delivered to the post office.

2. Customers complete an application to select a child's Santa letter.

3. Individuals who submit the application receive a copy of the child's letter. (NOTE: To protect children and their privacy, all personal information, including name and address are blackened out.)

4. Individuals purchase the gifts and bring them to the post office where they pay for the postage to ship the items to the child.

5. The post office delivers the package from "Santa."

And that's about it!

When I learned of this operation I promised the manager that I would deliver the message to my readers. As you know, the economy has been through some rough patches. And some loving parents - particularly single parents - are having a tough time making ends meet.

In this, the most wonderful time of the year, it's not so wonderful for them. Their kids might not get a Christmas present this year. For many families, that's their reality.

Just this past weekend at my church, in our Christmas drama, I played the role of a Salvation Army collector who publicly had to put a smile on his face as he collected funds for the less fortunate. Meanwhile, he was an unemployed single dad who could not fulfill his teenage daughter's Christmas wish.

As I got into the character, I really began to experience the emotions of one in his situation. In real life, there are thousands of people with this plight. Whether it's through Operation Santa or another organization, I encourage you to brighten a child's life this Christmas season.

At The Upbeat Dad, we care about dads and moms. But especially, we care about children. You don't have to have much to give much. One of my lines this weekend was "a small amount goes a long way for those who suffer greatly during the holiday."

Please speak with your local post office about Operation Santa. Please also consider the various charities in your local community.

Thanks for considering others during this season of giving. I'll close with another of my lines from the drama this weekend, "It is better to give than to receive."

Have an awesome day.

The Upbeat Dad