Clicks for St. Nick: Operation Santa goes digital

’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

But in the three weeks leading up to that night? That mouse might be pretty busy, clicking away to make magic for loads of little ones facing bleak holidays – at least that is what the U.S. Postal Service is hoping.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and this year some of his helpers will be browsing and bookmarking: At 106 years old, Operation Santa is going digital in select cities.

After an online test launch in New York last December, the USPS program that fulfills wish lists from hundreds of thousands of small voices every year is making the job of Secret Santa a little easier. If you are in Austin, Indianapolis, New York, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Washington and San Diego, you can now adopt Santa letters from needy kids by firing up the laptop and going to delivercheer.com from Dec. 3-22.

And if you prefer old school, the “legacy” version of Operation Santa, where letters can be adopted in-person, will continue at more than a dozen locations across the USA.

The goal with the digital inroads is simple, said Kim Frum, a spokeswoman for the Postal Service: “It will help us help more families and kids in need in their communities” by giving harried holiday folks another option to open their hearts.

“The ultimate reward is the knowledge that someone’s life is a little better because you were able to help,” she said.

Despite the tech steps forward, there is no digital equivalent of Santa comin’ down the chimney when he comes: No matter how you adopt a letter – online or in-person – donors must still go to the designated post office to mail the gifts.