On Monday, December 3, 2007, the United States Post Service (USPS) kicked off its annual Operation Santa Claus at the James A. Farley Post Office in New York City.

Operation Santa Claus attempts to connect people who send requests to Santa with people who may be able to fulfill those requests. It has nothing to do with Santa being too busy for any one person, it’s more about just giving Santa some extra help during the busy holiday season.

According to City Room, Operation Santa Claus received about 500,000 letters last year, 300,000 of which were actually answered in some way or another.

Many of the letters are from people in active need, and the letters are written by both children and their parents. Mixed in among the scattered requests for video game and dolls are a consistent drumbeat of humbler needs, like underwear, diapers, clothes — and more ambitious ones like jobs for unemployed parents, a home other than a shelter and world peace.

The boxes of Santa letters are a summary of the needs, disappointments and dreams of young New Yorkers and beyond, captured on paper.

If you feel like helping out one or more individuals this Christmas, head on over to the giant post office on 8th Avenue (between 31st and 33rd Streets) and pick up a letter from one of the boxes. There’s supposedly a special area of the post office specifically dedicated to Operation Santa Claus, so you can’t miss it.