We posted last week on a report from Newark, where the U.S. Postal Service was backing off its support for the longstanding Operation Santa toys-for-poor-kids charitable drive and, in particular, demanding that volunteer gift-givers show up in person and sign a lengthy waiver. It turns out the change of policy is nationwide in scope and “at the advice of legal counsel”:

There have been no lawsuits or accusations of impropriety.

Sue Brennan, a spokeswoman for the Postal Service, says the change was made “to protect the children and to protect the integrity of the program and the Postal Service.”

The letters [from needy children] often included home addresses and telephone numbers. “We were giving out information about these kids to people we didn’t know,” she says.

(Larry Copeland, “Volunteers answering letters to Santa now have to sign a clause”, USA Today, Nov. 23)(via ShopFloor). In other changes to the program, the Postal Service will no longer wrap the presents or transport them free to the central post office. A follow-up report in the Star-Ledger finds a reaction of “anger and disappointment among volunteers,” and the donation coordinator at the prominent local law firm of McCarter & English says her firm has decided to designate other charities instead. (Judy Peet, “Donors say ‘bah, humbug’ to Operation Santa rules”, Newark Star-Ledger, Nov. 21).