Local woman hopes to lift kids’ spirits after reading heartbreaking letters to Santa

RANLO, N.C. — It started with a grandmother wanting to spread joy during the holidays.

Donna Norman set up a red mailbox so her grandson could mail a letter to Santa. Soon, she was inviting all the children in her community to drop a letter in the box.

Norman says she wanted to bring the North Pole to Ranlo.

The red mailbox that sits outside her house serves as a beautiful centerpiece in a gazebo filled with other festive holiday decorations. Norman and her brother say it reminds them of their mother.

“It just turned into something that we weren’t expecting,” Norman’s brother, Mike Payne, explained.

“Reading some of the letters … it kind of broke my heart when I read some of the things. A lot of the kids didn’t even ask for a toy,” he said.

A 9-year-old girl wrote to Santa and said all she wanted for Christmas is a cure for cancer.

Another letter, from a 5-year-old girl, said her father worked a lot, so she asked for a family dinner.

“It broke my heart that we have kids in Ranlo that don’t want anything,” Norman said.

She says her mom said it’s always better to give than to receive.

“We believe that Christmas is about giving. That’s what we want to do. We want to give,” she said.

On Saturday, Norman and her family are teaming up with Santa to host a special event for every child who’s brought a letter to the mailbox.

“We’re going to invite these kids to come, and just meet them face to face and let them know there is still magic. There is still Christmas and it lives in the heart,” she said.

So far, they’ve received nearly 50 letters.

Norman said people in the community and local businesses have reached out to offer support for the children.

She hopes it can become a yearly tradition.

Some people look to generate more holiday spirit, especially this year

Cox Media Group