ALPHARETTA, Ga. — It’s the busiest time of the year for Alpharetta Postmaster Teara Smith and for the carriers she oversees across three locations.
While the numbers haven’t been finalized, Smith said postal workers are “really feeling it” this year with a significant increase in parcels to push for zip codes that cover Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Milton.
Among Smith’s personal duties are collecting letters to Santa, written by hopeful kids looking forward to filled requests. She recently had a stand-up talk with her employees to ensure all the letters have the names, addresses and stamps.
For those letters that don’t have a stamp, Smith pulls from her personal stamp collection.
“Technically, we’re supposed to give it back,” she said. “But, it’s a child, and I’m a softy.”
So far, Smith has sent more than 30 to Santa’s workshop. The program, Operation Santa, has been around for 110 years, but it wasn’t until 2019 that anyone in the country could adopt a letter online and respond to the writer.
“It’s sweet, it’s thoughtful,” Smith said. “Christmas should be like that.”
She said many of the carriers will dress up for the holiday, like one of her employees who drives a 2-ton delivery truck. He becomes Santa.
Smith, who drives more than an hour from her Jefferson home to her Webb Bridge office, began her career with the U.S. Postal Service as a carrier almost 26 years ago.
“My husband probably says, ‘You love that job too much’” Smith said. “But I do. I get joy out of it, and this time of year, I really do — the customers, their kids. We connect them to their parcels, to their items. It’s a joy you get out of it … I almost feel like Santa Claus.”
Deliveries have increased since Smith joined the Postal Service, a time when Amazon wasn’t around.
“Now, it’s a lot, but we…
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