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By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson
(Photo—(L) Pine Valley PO – Postmaster Jessie Rose Hoffman. Depicting & shot by Jessie Rose Hoffman)
December 10, 2021 (Pine Valley) -- Pine Valley Postmaster Jessie Rose Hoffman brings holiday cheer to her community. She is Pine Valley’s postal “Elf”, delivering seasonal joy to all and most likely working harder than any elf in Santa’s workshop.
ECM caught up with her, as well as USPS’ Duke Gonzales via email, to learn Hoffman’s backstory, U.S. Postal Service’s tips for the holiday season, and how you can help Santa’s helpers at the USPS fulfill children’s Christmas wishes.
ECM: How long have you dressed up and helped to spread the holiday spirit?
Hoffman: I have been helping spread the holiday spirit for the past 19 years of my postal employment. The last four, I have had the fun of dressing up during peak season.
ECM: What materials are your costumes made of?
Hoffman: My dress is made with a tulle skirt and a yarn top decorated with candy buttons, sequins, and bells.
ECM: Do you dress up as an elf or Mrs. Claus during the holiday season? Both or only one?
Hoffman: I have only dressed up as an elf.
ECM: Reactions from kids to the outfit?
Hoffman: The kids get surprised and excited. The adults get a good laugh.
ECM: Are there other activities? Please explain.
Hoffman: Starting at the beginning of the month we hand out coloring pages. We ask the kids to help us decorate our board by bringing back their coloring pages once they have colored them. The past couple of years we have also set up a special Letters to Santa mailbox for the children to drop off their letters.
ECM: How long have you been Postmaster at Pine Valley or total years there?
Hoffman: I’ve been the Postmaster here in Pine Valley for 16 months.
(Photo (R)-Pine Valley Post Office staff (from left): Postmaster Jessie Rose Hoffman, Clerk Scott Gonzalez, and Clerk Cindy Alvarado. Shot by Domynik Marquez.)
ECM: What day do you decorate or dress up for Christmas?
Hoffman: Typically, we start taking down our fall decorations the day after Thanksgiving and immediately start putting up our Christmas decorations. This year we were finished on December 2. I dress up on Christmas Eve, working all day long delivering, even after the office is closed, so that everyone receives their special Christmas packages.
ECM: Who was the brainchild or force for dressing up?
Hoffman: That would be JESSIE… me, myself, and I.
ECM: Are you a resident of the Pine Valley? Family? Kids?
Duke Gonzales: Jessie and her five children live in Potrero, California. She makes the 40-minute commute daily.
(Photo – (L) - Christmas decorations in the Pine Valley Post Office retail lobby. Shot by Jessie Rose Hoffman.”
ECM: Any other comments?
Gonzales: It’s a crazy time of year for us—it’s like the Super Bowl, March Madness and World Series all rolled up into one nonstop, month-long event. But we understand the importance of the Postal Service to our customers lives during this time of year and take tremendous pride in delivering a happy holiday to them.
ECM: How much mail/letters/postcards to Santa, or customers, do you typically get or forward?
Gonzales: We’re expecting to process and deliver more than 12 billion pieces of mail this year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. That includes about 950 million packages, many of them Christmas gifts sent to loved ones nationwide.
ECM: Please describe USPS' seasonal Santa programs?
Gonzales: USPS has a tradition of connecting kids with Santa through Christmas wish letters that are written and mailed every year. This year, the Postal Service is connecting kids in need of holiday cheer with Santa’s helpers located in our own state. The program allows individuals and organizations to “adopt” letters and send gifts in Santa’s place. The deadline for kids to submit their letters is Dec. 10. But anyone seeking to lend Santa a hand can adopt a letter and fulfill a child’s wish up to Dec. 22. We encourage East County residents to go online and adopt a letter to help a child have a happy holiday. Letters can be filtered by state, although not by specific ZIP Code. Details on how to adopt a Santa letter and a history of the program are available at USPSOperationSanta.com. Last year the USPS Operation Santa web site had almost a million visitors and led to more than 11,000 Christmas packages being sent.
ECM: When does Santa or his elves recommend sending presents in a timely manner, to arrive?
Gonzales: Santa and his elves suggest that you shop and ship now! The Postal Service’s suggested mailing dates are Dec. 17 for First-Class mail, Dec. 18 for Priority Mail and, for all those procrastinators out there, Dec. 23 for Priority Express mail.
ECM: Any more comments?
Gonzales: Jessie and her team are stellar examples of our dedicated U.S. Postal Service workforce and a fantastic source of holiday spirit in their community.
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