DALLAS, TX -
People bustling in and out of the main post office in Dallas might not know what exists down a long hallway and behind a decorated door. It is Santa's Workshop. A handful of postal workers give up their regular jobs at this time of year to answer about 300,000 letters to Santa.
Volunteers say this year, many of the letters are not like typical wish lists of the past. "They range from asking for a job for their Mom or Dad to helping to pay the bills", says USPS Media Relations Specialist, John Torrez. "It is overwhelming and intense to read the letters".
This is Sandra Curry's first year to volunteer in the workshop, even though she has been a mail sorter for the post office for 25 years. She never imagined it would tug at her heart. "I didn't know what to expect", says Curry. She says one letter from a boy in Grand Prairie brought tears to her eyes when he asked Santa for clothes for his brothers and socks for his Dad. "When we were growing up we never asked for clothes so that shows you how aware kids are of the economic hardships".
It isn't just the letters to Santa that have taken on a serious tone, so have the personal visits to Old Saint Nick at local malls. The Rudolph family from Arlington, who visited Santa at the Parks Mall, says they have seen the difference in what children are asking for in the recession. "It is sad and really shows what the country is going through", says Rochelle Rudolph.
Postal officials say they are trying to help those children identified as needy. Some employees have adopted the children who wrote letters expressing a need. "Our people are very generous", says Torrez.
Volunteers say this year, many of the letters are not like typical wish lists of the past. "They range from asking for a job for their Mom or Dad to helping to pay the bills", says USPS Media Relations Specialist, John Torrez. "It is overwhelming and intense to read the letters".
This is Sandra Curry's first year to volunteer in the workshop, even though she has been a mail sorter for the post office for 25 years. She never imagined it would tug at her heart. "I didn't know what to expect", says Curry. She says one letter from a boy in Grand Prairie brought tears to her eyes when he asked Santa for clothes for his brothers and socks for his Dad. "When we were growing up we never asked for clothes so that shows you how aware kids are of the economic hardships".
It isn't just the letters to Santa that have taken on a serious tone, so have the personal visits to Old Saint Nick at local malls. The Rudolph family from Arlington, who visited Santa at the Parks Mall, says they have seen the difference in what children are asking for in the recession. "It is sad and really shows what the country is going through", says Rochelle Rudolph.
Postal officials say they are trying to help those children identified as needy. Some employees have adopted the children who wrote letters expressing a need. "Our people are very generous", says Torrez.
Digg
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon
