The Mission of Operation Santa is to bring joy to service members that are serving far away from home during the holiday season. 

Operation Santa is the largest stocking drive in the United States with volunteers from all fifty states. The Central Illinois Operation Santa chapter volunteers coordinate donations from the Central Illinois area, stuff stockings with the donated items starting in October, and ship those stockings to service members overseas in early December. 

Stockings from Operation Santa are stuffed and shipped to all branches of our Armed Forces, Combat Support Hospitals, and K-9 units serving around the globe.

Operation Santa of Central Illinois has sent over 249,722 holiday stockings to our deployed troops.  Our stockings have reached as far as Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, South Korea, Djibouti, Algeria, Kosovo, Bonsia, and Kuwait. 

The holiday season is most often spent around one's closest family and friends.  This is not the case for many serving overseas during this time as they are away from their family, spouse, children, friends, and the warmth of their home. The stockings recieved are a wonderful reminder of the love, support, and gratitude we send their way, espeically during the holiday season.

If you have a loved one serving overseas, please send the following information to OpSanta.name.addr.count@gmail.com, and we will include them in our shipping this holiday season:

• Name
• Address
• Number of individuals serving in their company