Red-Letter Day

The letters come addressed to Santa, Kris Kringle, Mrs. Claus, the Elves. They are written in everything from a 4-year-old’s scrawl to computer script.

Some are elaborately colored with the writer’s vision of Santa’s sleigh and reindeer. Others include maps--some global enough for NASA, some with more detail than the Thomas Guide. The letters are written by children and grown-ups who believe--or want to believe--that Santa is real.

That people love to write to Santa is no surprise. What’s surprising is that he answers.

Santa not only reads his letters, but, with a little help from his friends, responds to many and sometimes even grants requests, says Terri Bouffiou, communications programs specialist for the U.S. Postal Service in Orange and Los Angeles counties.

Southern California postal workers and community volunteers are participating in a growing program to keep the spirit of Christmas alive.

“Cities like New York have been answering ‘Dear Santa’ letters for a long time,” Bouffiou says. “Until just a few years ago, Santa letters coming into our office went to the dead-letter department, and we thought, what a shame.”

Today, postal employees channel all the “Dear Santa” letters to central locations. In Orange County, it’s the Santa Ana office on Sunflower Avenue; in Los Angeles County, the letters go to Van Nuys, Long Beach and Central L.A. postal centers.

A handful of employees in each office volunteer their break time or stay after work to sort the letters into two stacks--labeled “regular and “needy.” Meanwhile, people and organizations aware of the program call to offer their services--from writing Santa letters to boys and girls to helping out those in need with gifts, a Christmas tree or holiday dinner.

Although the program of responding to letters is relatively new in this area, postal employees have long been authorized to open letters addressed to Santa Claus.

Because mail is considered private property and opening a stamped letter is a federal offense, it required a special exemption. On Dec. 18, 1912, U.S. Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock signed an order authorizing postmasters to “deliver all letters on which the postage has been fully prepaid, arriving at the respective post offices . . . which are addressed plainly and unmistakably to ‘Santa Claus’ . . . to responsible institutions or individuals in the town or city of address who may desire to use them exclusively for philanthropic purposes.”

Each year, post offices around the country open more than 100,000 letters addressed to Santa Claus. In 1995, between L.A. and Orange counties, 25,000 letters were received, and about 8,000 were answered in some fashion.

“About 5% of the total are what we consider needy,” says Carol Samaniego, postal consumer affairs manager for Orange County. “Unfortunately, some do not have return addresses, so we can’t help them.”

This year, one young girl wrote: “I am a good girl most times. I know others don’t believe in you, but I sure do. Santa, why don’t you ever come to my town, Santa Ana?” Her letter was among the hundreds with no return address.

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The letters, always touching, range from hilarious to heartbreaking.

Some children cut out coupons from local toy stores to remind Santa of their heart’s desire. One girl, who will be visiting relatives in Argentina this Christmas, wrote saying that it would be nice if Santa would deliver some of her presents to Argentina and some to California, then proceeded to list which gifts she wanted where.

Others request bare necessities for their family and, perhaps, a small something for themselves. Pleas for beds, clothing and food are common. Fourteen-year-old Luis wrote his first letter to Santa this year, asking for an electric skillet for his mother and shoes for his father. He would like a baseball mitt so he can play on his school team.

Manny wrote to Santa requesting that his mother, a single parent who suffered a stroke six months ago, get better so she can return to work.

“There will be no Christmas at our house this year unless you help us,” Manny wrote.

Often, route mail carriers and school authorities are contacted to help track down letter writers or gain information about their circumstances.

Last year, Novia wrote to Santa requesting an exercise bicycle for Christmas. Because she had included her school and teacher’s names in her letter, Stacia Crane, consumer affairs and claims manager in Santa Clarita, was able to contact the teacher and ask about Novia.

She learned that Novia was 50 pounds overweight, very quiet and was teased by the other children. Crane got in touch with exercise guru Richard Simmons, who delivered a standard bike, an exercise bike and a Stairmaster to Novia on Christmas Day. He also gave her a lifetime membership to one of his gyms and promised to be her personal trainer for a year. Several months later, the teacher called Crane and gave her an update on Novia: She had lost 20 pounds and was much more outgoing.

“She even made a speech in class, something she would never do before,” her teacher said.

Some children use the letters as a platform for confessing transgressions or relieving guilty consciences. One anonymous girl wrote saying that this year there will be fewer blemishes on her naughty/nice record: “I usually haven’t kicked, hit or bit my brother this year,” she wrote.

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Last year, Steve Christian organized his office at First Team Realty in Dana Point to respond to Santa letters. A new dad himself, he was seeing Christmas through a child’s eyes again and decided to become involved. It changed his perspective on the needy in his community forever.

“These were all working-class people; most of them were not looking for a handout,” he says.

In Christian’s batch of letters, kids and adults, some too old to truly believe in Santa Claus, wrote requesting help with food and clothing.

“Some of the letters did not include sizes, so we contacted the families, saying we were Santa’s helpers trying to update his records,” Christian says. The parents were leery but cooperative. Then, one night before Christmas, Christian and his staff dressed up and delivered bundles of presents and Christmas dinners to their adopted families.

Christian is back this year, requesting twice as many families as before.

Samaniego says that many of those who volunteer to write reply letters or adopt families keep coming back, and some continue to help the same families year after year.

“Once you do it, it becomes part of you,” Samaniego says.

Dee Steckler of Anaheim Hills has helped respond to Santa letters in the past, but this year, her own finances are tighter than usual because she was laid off from her aerospace job in September.

“But I’m not so destitute that I can’t help out some of these families,” Steckler says. She plans to write response letters to 200 children and help 10 families this year. For her, she says, giving gifts to needy children and seeing them smile define Christmas.

Dana Jones of the Irvine offices of law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher took more than 100 letters to be passed out among employees. Many of the letters are from kids with lists as long as your arm, who need little except a response from Santa acknowledging receipt of their letters.

“We have a ball answering these letters,” Jones says. She passes out holiday stationery to the employees, then lets them respond as they see fit, with a few guidelines: Never promise anything, and don’t contradict the parents.

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A few write to Santa because there’s no one else to listen. Molly recently wrote expressing some of her concerns: “You probably won’t receive my letter, and if you do, why would you care? You only help good little boys and girls. . . . I’m not a very normal or happy girl. I carry a smile to cover my true feelings. . . . Things are rough, I have anger from years of abuse. . . . All I ask for Christmas is a small silver bell on a chain. . . . Also, if you have power, peace on Earth would be nice.”

Indeed, some requests can’t be granted.

Mixed in with the thousands of Santa letters are several dozen addressed to God.

“These letters came much earlier, and in greater numbers than usual this year,” Samaniego says. Presumably this is due to the film “Dear God,” from Paramount Pictures, which opened Nov. 1. The film depicts a postal worker trying to help needy children who have written letters to God.

The “Dear God” letters are especially poignant, Bouffiou says, because they are usually from people in dire circumstances. They are left unanswered, says Bouffiou, as it would be inappropriate to presume to speak on God’s behalf.

But the Santa letters are a different matter.

According to kids who have received assistance in years past, miracles do happen.

“The greatest thing about participating in this program is seeing needy children who think of others before themselves,” says Randy Johnson of Patterson, Hanna & Johnson, a small Newport Beach law firm. Last year Johnson “adopted” a family with two children, the eldest having made a request for her younger brother while asking nothing for herself. Johnson granted her request and added a stuffed animal and a pair of in-line skates.

“Her eyes bugged out of her head when she realized the roller-blades were for her,” Johnson says. “She was speechless.”

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How to Volunteer

Most of the Santa letters arrive at U.S. Postal Service offices the week before Christmas. Those who wish to help respond to the letters can contact the Consumer Affairs department at the post office serving their area.

* Orange County: Carol Samaniego, 3101 W. Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana. (714) 662-6215.

* Long Beach: Roxie Cullison, 300 N. Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach. (310) 983-3084

* Van Nuys: Stacia Crane, 28201 Franklin Parkway, Santa Clarita. (805) 294-6980

* Central Los Angeles: Sharon Shedrick, 7001 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 983-3084