By Tere Dunlap
tdunlap@themonroetimes.com
MONROE - Each child who writes a letter sent to Santa and sends if off through the Monroe Post Office gets a letter back from Santa, thanks to a little help from postal clerk Sheri Pusel.
Pusel has taken on the important assignment of making sure every letter to Santa gets to the North Pole and his responses get back again, Post Master Doug Crooks said.
Pusel, who has worked at the Monroe Post Office for almost 20 years, took up the task about three years ago, she said.
The letters used to go to the Monroe High School for safe delivery to Santa, she said. But when the school closed that project, Pusel stepped in to take it over.
"The thought that one of them might not get a response" bothered her, she said.
Pusel said she has seen letters not only from children in Monroe, but also from children in other small towns in the area. "It just depends upon where they drop them off."
She not only bundles up the letters to send on their way, Pusel also tries to make sure the child's name and return address is on the envelope. Santa may know where the child lives, but Pusel said any letter Santa sends back through the post office needs to have a return address.
Pusel said the letters Santa sends back are personalized with the child's name and home town name. A mention of the present requested is also included - although Santa doesn't make any hard or fast promises to deliver those requested items, Pusel said. Sometimes a little magic Christmas snow from the North Pole - the kind that never melts - also gets into the envelopes.
Santa also gives the children good advice for living, such as go to bed early, play nicely with others and eat good foods, and he reminds them to put out some cookies for him and carrots for the reindeer on Christmas Eve, she added.
Pusel had to undergo special screenings and background checks through the U.S. Postal Service to be allowed to take on the tremendous responsibility of handling Santa's letters.
The number of letters to Santa has increased since she began. Pusel said only 17 letters came though the Monroe Post Office three years ago. This year, she collected about 40 letters.
The last responses from Santa are expected to be delivered today, Dec. 24 - just in time for Christmas.
tdunlap@themonroetimes.com
MONROE - Each child who writes a letter sent to Santa and sends if off through the Monroe Post Office gets a letter back from Santa, thanks to a little help from postal clerk Sheri Pusel.
Pusel has taken on the important assignment of making sure every letter to Santa gets to the North Pole and his responses get back again, Post Master Doug Crooks said.
Pusel, who has worked at the Monroe Post Office for almost 20 years, took up the task about three years ago, she said.
The letters used to go to the Monroe High School for safe delivery to Santa, she said. But when the school closed that project, Pusel stepped in to take it over.
"The thought that one of them might not get a response" bothered her, she said.
Pusel said she has seen letters not only from children in Monroe, but also from children in other small towns in the area. "It just depends upon where they drop them off."
She not only bundles up the letters to send on their way, Pusel also tries to make sure the child's name and return address is on the envelope. Santa may know where the child lives, but Pusel said any letter Santa sends back through the post office needs to have a return address.
Pusel said the letters Santa sends back are personalized with the child's name and home town name. A mention of the present requested is also included - although Santa doesn't make any hard or fast promises to deliver those requested items, Pusel said. Sometimes a little magic Christmas snow from the North Pole - the kind that never melts - also gets into the envelopes.
Santa also gives the children good advice for living, such as go to bed early, play nicely with others and eat good foods, and he reminds them to put out some cookies for him and carrots for the reindeer on Christmas Eve, she added.
Pusel had to undergo special screenings and background checks through the U.S. Postal Service to be allowed to take on the tremendous responsibility of handling Santa's letters.
The number of letters to Santa has increased since she began. Pusel said only 17 letters came though the Monroe Post Office three years ago. This year, she collected about 40 letters.
The last responses from Santa are expected to be delivered today, Dec. 24 - just in time for Christmas.