USPS Operation Santa Now Open, Kauai Residents Can Adopt Letters

The U.S. Postal Service opened the Operation Santa letter adoption program for the 2025 holiday season on December 8, offering Kauai families and community groups a chance to respond to holiday wishes. Residents, workplaces and neighborhood groups can visit USPSOperationSanta.com to select letters to Santa, form teams to answer family requests, and ship gifts directly through the online Gift Shoppe. The program will accept adoptions through December 13, and adopters are asked to ship gifts by December 13 to help ensure on time delivery.

This year the program emphasizes whole family letters, with a built in team option that makes it easier for a single adopter to meet multiple wishes from the same household. Santa's Gift Shoppe powered by Toys"R"Us has been restored and expanded, allowing donors to purchase items online and ship them directly, which can simplify logistics for volunteers who are coordinating multiple gifts.

For Kauai, the program is both a practical way to bring joy to children and a reminder of enduring community needs. Local nonprofits, schools and faith based organizations often coordinate holiday assistance, and Operation Santa provides another avenue for neighbors to give. Because shipping to the islands can require additional planning, residents who want to adopt a letter should factor in transit times and postal schedules when arranging purchases and shipments.

Beyond the immediate season of giving, the program highlights wider issues of economic strain and limited access to basic resources that many families face year round in Hawaii. Community participation in short term programs can alleviate hardship during the holidays, and it also opens opportunities for local groups to strengthen volunteer networks and coordinate longer term support.

To participate, go to USPSOperationSanta.com, choose a letter, consider the family letter team option if multiple wishes are listed, and use Santa's Gift Shoppe to purchase and ship gifts. Adopted letters must be claimed by December 13, and gifts should be shipped by that date to maximize the chance of arriving before the holidays.