"Operation Santa" grants poor kids' gift wishes

Millions of letters containing Christmas wish lists are sent to Santa Claus in the North Pole every year.

And they land in local post offices, where they're made available to the public, enabling people to play St. Nick and send gifts to needy children who might otherwise get nothing, through a program called Operation Santa.

Pete Fontana, Operation Santa's head New York City Elf, explained how the program works, on "The Early Show on Saturday Morning."

Some postal patrons read some of the touching letters, as well, for the sake of viewers.

The Postal Service doesn't receive tax dollars for "Operation Santa," and the service's current financial plight is forcing local offices to make difficult decisions about whether to participate in the optional program.