AmeriCorp

An AmeriCorp Holiday Tale
SYOSSET , NY- January 30, 2004

The elation about this year’s food drive had barely died down when the call went out for another special holiday commitment. The CEO had read a news article about a 75-year-old tradition at the U.S. Postal Service, which had been dubbed “Operation Santa.” Each year the Post Office receives hundreds of thousands of letters written by children or the parents of children who are suffering from illness, want and isolation. These letters to St Nick are rerouted to generous volunteers, either individuals or businesses, who answer them with gifts and donations. In 2002, the substitute Santas responded to well over 200,000 of these requests for toys and clothing. Our goal was to bring the Postal Service closer to a 100% answer rate in 2003.

Even as we awaited delivery of the dozens of letters, employees had begun to serve yet another worthy project by filling up the “wishing well” that had been prepared for “Toys for Tots.” The goal of this program, which was begun by members of the U.S. Marine Corps shortly after World War II, is to gather and then “deliver through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.” The Marines have continued to run their annual campaign through war and peace, and AmeriCorp has responded each year by collecting items for them. Employees managed to fill the company van with brand new, unwrapped toys, which were then handed over to a warehouse detail (see pictures) of Marine Reservists.

The press of holiday mail delayed our packet of Operation Santa letters until almost the last minute. Exceptional, near-frantic efforts were made to quickly purchase gifts that matched the needs of the writers. Then the dolls and winter coats and sneakers and all the other gifts were hurriedly delivered to employee volunteers to be individually wrapped, boxed for shipment, and consigned to the carrier in time to ensure delivery by Christmas Eve. The frazzled but happy crews of buyers, wrappers and packagers made sure that every letter coming in had at least one present going out from the “North Pole.” AmeriCorp generosity thus powered two successful efforts to answer the holiday prayers of the needy through our own corps of givers.


Close window	An AmeriCorp Holiday Tale SYOSSET , NY- January 30, 2004 The elation about this year’s food drive had barely died down when the call went out for another special holiday commitment. The CEO had read a news article about a 75-year-old tradition at the U.S. Postal Service, which had been dubbed “Operation Santa.” Each year the Post Office receives hundreds of thousands of letters written by children or the parents of children who are suffering from illness, want and isolation. These letters to St Nick are rerouted to generous volunteers, either individuals or businesses, who answer them with gifts and donations. In 2002, the substitute Santas responded to well over 200,000 of these requests for toys and clothing. Our goal was to bring the Postal Service closer to a 100% answer rate in 2003. Even as we awaited delivery of the dozens of letters, employees had begun to serve yet another worthy project by filling up the “wishing well” that had been prepared for “Toys for Tots.” The goal of this program, which was begun by members of the U.S. Marine Corps shortly after World War II, is to gather and then “deliver through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.” The Marines have continued to run their annual campaign through war and peace, and AmeriCorp has responded each year by collecting items for them. Employees managed to fill the company van with brand new, unwrapped toys, which were then handed over to a warehouse detail (see pictures) of Marine Reservists. The press of holiday mail delayed our packet of Operation Santa letters until almost the last minute. Exceptional, near-frantic efforts were made to quickly purchase gifts that matched the needs of the writers. Then the dolls and winter coats and sneakers and all the other gifts were hurriedly delivered to employee volunteers to be individually wrapped, boxed for shipment, and consigned to the carrier in time to ensure delivery by Christmas Eve. The frazzled but happy crews of buyers, wrappers and packagers made sure that every letter coming in had at least one present going out from the “North Pole.” AmeriCorp generosity thus powered two successful efforts to answer the holiday prayers of the needy through our own corps of givers.