Kids write Santa this year for basic needs instead of toys

Quote:
Santa Claus and his elves are seeing more heartbreaking letters this year as children cite their parents' economic troubles in their wish lists.
U.S. Postal Service workers who handle letters addressed to Santa at the North Pole say more letters ask for basics ? coats, socks and shoes ? rather than Barbie dolls, video games and computers.

At New York City's main post office, Head Elf Pete Fontana and 22 staff elves will sort 2 million letters in Operation Santa, which connects needy children with "Secret Santas" who answer their wishes.

Fontana, a customer relations coordinator for the Postal Service, has been head elf for 15 years.

"The need is greater this year than I've ever seen it," he says. "One little girl didn't want anything for herself. She wanted a winter coat for her mother."

@crazychica Said

I just wish we had a better system that actually works.

@boxerdc Said

We do.. it's called "People like us".

@boxerdc Said

I need to donate some shoes.. In great shape, and really nice, but I never wear them any more.

Sadly, the only two places close by that would take them are the baptist church that regularly preaches against homosexuality, and the salvation army, which routinely denied food and assistance to people with HIV/AIDS for the first decade of the crisis..

So, I won't give to either of them. I'm just going to have to take a trip directly to a shelter this weekend.

@crazychica Said

That's it. I'm definately putting a toy in the ASDA collection for kids thingy. I hate to think of someone going without and I'm with JMO, I hate banks and bankers. I'm also finding my hatred for capitalism rising again. I just wish we had a better system that actually works.

@jmo Said

No system works, not even capitalism.

360 million people have died from hunger and remedial diseases in the last 20 years. That's more than all the wars of the entire 20th century put together.

@crazychica Said

I don't get it.

@jmo Said

No system works, not even capitalism.

360 million people have died from hunger and remedial diseases in the last 20 years. That's more than all the wars of the entire 20th century put together.

@white_swan53 Said

This sort of thing really pisses me off, here you have good usable items and the inclination to donate them to someone that can get some good from them and your choices are limited to 'charities'(I use that word loosely) that would and do turn their 'christian' backs not only on people in need but also on the people who would help those in need . F**KERS!!!!!