“Kids write Santa this year for basic needs instead of toys - USA Today” plus 1 more |
| Kids write Santa this year for basic needs instead of toys - USA Today Posted: 15 Dec 2010 10:36 AM PST | By Donna Leinwand, USA TODAY 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." At more than 20 post offices, workers log every letter, black out identifying information except first name and age, and ask the public to respond. Lobby displays promote the program. People return with gifts and letters, which carriers deliver. Cesar, 7, wrote for himself and his baby sister. "This year my moom don't have much money to spend on Christmas gifts so I'm writing to you," Cesar told Santa. "It would make us very happy if you and your elves would bring us toys and clothes." There are more letters from unemployed parents asking for kids' gifts they can't afford, says Darlene Reid of New York City's main post office. One mom sent a turn-off notice from the electric company, Fontana says. A single mother of a girl, 8, and a boy, 2, wrote that she recently lost her job. "I am unable to buy my children toys and clothes," she said. "Santa may you help me with my family?" Tough times are shrinking the number of Secret Santas, Fontana says. Meanwhile, "the percentage of people who need help has increased," says Mark Reynolds at the Postal Service's Chicago district, and about half the letters won't get answered. Melanney, 9, asked Santa for a coat and boots. "I have been a very good girl this year," she wrote. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Santa Knows When You're Left-Handed: Great Gift Ideas for Left-Handed Kids - YAHOO! Posted: 15 Dec 2010 09:03 AM PST Leftyslefthanded.com has just added two new custom products for left-handed kids. Lefty's washable Little Lefty's Writing Guide and Tie Shoes Instruction Card are specifically designed to help lefty kids with two very common challenges - learning to write and draw correctly, and tying their shoes. San Francisco, CA (Vocus/PRWEB) December 15, 2010 Leftyslefthanded.com has just added new custom products for left-handed kids! In addition to having the world's largest selection of tools and gifts for left-handers of all ages, Lefty's has a special focus on left-handed kids. Two brand new products, the Little Lefty's Writing Guide and the Tie Shoes Instruction Card, are specifically designed to help young lefties with two very common left-handed challenges - learning to write and draw correctly, and tying their shoes. The new washable Little Lefty's Writing Guide, designed to be positioned in front of the user like a placemat, shows an outline of the proper paper position for the most ergonomic and successful left-handed writing. The set includes 2 wide-ruled tablets that fit exactly in the outline on the mat. Clear instructions and diagrams showing the best writing hand position are written beside the paper outline. On the reverse is a washable printing guide with space to copy each letter, and notes on which letters are formed differently by lefties. Learning correct writing position and habits will literally improve a lefty kids' life – their ability to learn, their posture, and their interest in art are all directly connected to this basic skill. Each mat comes with a set of damp-erase markers as well two paper tablets. Difficulty learning to tie shoes is a classic lefty problem, especially for kids of right-handed parents. Lefty's new Tie Shoes Instruction Card comes complete with a practice lace. Step-by-step pictures of a hands tying a shoelace left-handed surround a large picture of a tennis shoe, perforated with holes for the shoe lace to go through. This tie training card makes it easy for parents to show their lefties how to practice tying their laces. On the reverse are pictures of famous lefties, along with brief stories about them. Lefty's has loads of other gifts for left-handed kids – including both sets and individual items. With the world's biggest selection of left-handed scissors, Lefty's has scissors for little, bigger, and big kids. Scissors sets come in colors popular with girls, and in colors popular with boys. Drawing, writing, and coloring can be much easier for lefty kids with left-handed notebooks and drawing tablets, along with pens, pencils, markers, and even calligraphy sets designed to work left-handed. You can find left-handed rulers, left-handed pencil sharpeners, and books about lefty kids; activity books, boomerangs, and magnet dress-up sets for our lefty President Obama; left-handed T-shirts, baseballs, guitars, and kids' watches. leftyslefthanded.com is a wonderland of fun for left-handed shopping. They say that Santa's on his way, with left-handed toys and goodies on his sleigh! Make sure he makes it to your lefty's house. ### Lucia Howard This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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