USPS Letters to Santa from needy children kicks off December 2nd, but eager Christmas volunteers may not find postal branches offering kids' letters

NEW YORK, Dec. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Major news coverage is expected tomorrow of the USPS Letters to Santa program, which distributes to the public real letters to Santa from needy kids.

At USPS.com, however, information on how and where to volunteer is hard to find.

On December 2^nd at 11am, the Postal Service will kick off its 2014 Letters to Santa program at the James Farley Station in New York City.

Reporters covering this story about the USPS program may wish to mention BeAnElf.org because it readily shows people where and how to volunteer. Many who see a news story will search on USPS.com and come up with no relevant results. www.BeAnElf.org is the best online guide available, and a great tag for stories on USPS Letters to Santa.

This year volunteers can adopt letters to Santa Claus in 20 major cities, sent by needy kids asking Santa for "a warm coat," "food or clothes," or "shoes for my older brother," and then mail their gifts directly to the child or family they adopt.

Be An Elf is a much-needed resource letting the public know where and how they can volunteer effectively. The site offers an easy-to-find list of this year's participating postal branches, along with the hours of operation, tips for volunteering, photos, and samples of actual children's letters. There is also a Press Room for journalists with high resolution images.

Children's Santa letters may be picked up at a single postal branch in 20 US cities this year, including New York, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco, Boston, Orlando, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Houston, Los Angeles and 10 others.

BeAnElf.org is the best online guide to the USPS Letters to Santa. The website offers tips for gifts, like backpacks and school supplies, and suggests including a small gift for Moms, who the site notes are often single and living below the poverty line.

Be An Elf also smartly recommends that volunteers share the work and the fun, and organize Christmas gatherings where volunteers and their friends wrap gifts together.

Some people feel alone and sad over the holidays, and will find comfort by being part of this program. Others have families and bring their children to teach them the true meaning of Christmas.

Be An Elf's home page notes, "There's no middle man or charity. It's micro-philanthropy, direct from you to a child, when you volunteer in this way. You'll catch the true spirit of Christmas, and put smiles on the faces of needy kids on Christmas morning."

The non-profit group was founded in 2004 by Patrick Reynolds, a longtime volunteer for Letters to Santa, initially to increase public awareness of the program. 

BeAnElf.org hopes that reporters will include a mention of the site at the end of their story about the wonderful USPS program, so that the public can easily learn where their nearest postal branch is, and get the best tips available for how to effectively volunteer.

@HowToBeAnElf

www.Facebook.com/BeAnElfOrg

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SOURCE Be An Elf

Related Links

http://www.BeAnElf.org