 Photo by Garth Guibord
In a press release from 2019, the U.S. Postal Service noted
that it expected to deliver a total of 800 million packages delivered between
Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day and more than 28 million packages per day and
nearly 2.5 billion pieces of first-class mail processed and delivered during
the week of Dec. 16 that year. And while that includes an influx of greeting
cards, it perhaps misses the most important correspondence of the holiday
season: letters to Santa.
For children on the Mountain who wish to send a letter to
the Jolly Old Elf, Santa has a helper to make sure they reach him and also
allows him the time and opportunity to respond. Jami Muise, who retired from
the USPS last year and now works for the Welches Schools, took on the role last
year and even created a kid-sized mailbox at the Brightwood Post Office just
for those letters.
“I got quite a few last year,” Muise said, adding that the
new mailbox will be out right after Thanksgiving in time for those children who
can’t wait any longer to let Santa know about their holiday wishes.
Amongst those she delivered to Santa included some from kids
who couldn’t write, but drew a picture, while others that had unique requests.
One boy’s wish list included a chainsaw, fishing pole, boots and a donkey.
“That was so cute,” Muise said. “There’s so many sweet kids
that don’t even ask for a bunch of gifts. A lot of them ask for something for
their little sibling.”
She took on the role of Santa’s helper following the
retirement of Larry Hoyt, who first took on the responsibility at the Sandy
Post Office and then carried on as he went to the Eagle Creek Post office and
finally the Brightwood branch. Hoyt noted that many kids wrote to Santa and
noted how hopeful they were that they had behaved enough during the year.
Santa, he added would write back about their good hearts, while sometimes
noting how much snow fell at the North Pole or how his clothes were a little
more snug this year than in years past.
“I would still be doing it if it weren’t for Jami, she’s so
enthusiastic about it,” Hoyt said, adding that the toughest part of the job was
when letters didn’t include a return address.
Muise, who also decorates the post office for the holidays,
added that kids can drop off letters at the other post offices on the Mountain
and she will make sure Santa gets those, too.
“I just love kids so so much,” Muise said. “I hope that
we’ll get more letters (this year).”
By Garth Guibord/MT
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