Operation Santa Claus Delivers Gifts To Thousands Of NH Children

CONCORD, NH — Operation Santa Claus, the annual Christmas drive to ensure that New Hampshire's neediest children have gifts during the holiday season, has been deemed a success, coronavirus, and all.

For six decades, state employees with SEA/SEIU Local 1984 as well as retirees, volunteers, state agencies, businesses, and other supporters have worked on the effort. This year, with the complications of coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic, the effort fell hundreds of sponsorships short. More than 500, at one point in the drive, to be exact.

But Phillip Burt, this year's chairperson, as well as many elves working behind the scenes, ramped up efforts to make sure that as many children as possible had two gift cards, valued at between $70 and $75.

Burt told Patch Wednesday the 2020 drive was complete and all involved made their delivery date of Dec. 14 to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, which has distributed gifts to children around the state. There were, he said, some stragglers, but the final requests would be filled before Christmas.

More than 3,300 children in New Hampshire will be receiving gift cards this year, despite the coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

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"With the support of so many community members, state employees, state agencies, businesses, individuals and volunteers, OSC has made the holiday brighter," Burt said. "These children may not have had as good a Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas or the holiday they celebrate without Operation Santa and its supporters. The parents, guardians, caretakers, foster parents, and children express their gratitude and humble appreciation for this program."

Burt said that is why so many people participate in the program — to help children in need. He also thanked Lori Weaver, the deputy commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, and Rich Gulla, the president of SEA/SEIU Local 1984, for lending their support to the effort.

Operation Santa Claus will begin working on plans for 2021 soon.

Burt said organizers hope that next year, the program will return to shopping for the gifts the children would like to receive. The organization will also be looking for new warehouse space to utilize between Veterans Day and mid-December now that the New Hampshire Department of Transportation building on Stickney Avenue is being sold.

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