Mystery letters to Santa sent to random NYC apartment spur nonprofit and Hollywood interest
MANHATTAN (WABC) -- While 34th Street has its famous miracle, 12 blocks south on 22nd Street, another one has been unfolding, one that no one can seem to explain.
"400 letters to Santa were delivered to my apartment, unbeknownst to me," said Jim Glaub, resident.
Every year around the same time, the same apartment on the same New York City block, a long way from the North Pole, hundreds of letters arrive addressed to St. Nick. Why that apartment and why that block? As this tale goes, no one really knows.
"You know, on 22nd Street, it has such a rich history of Christmas. The park across the street is called Clement Clark Moore Park, he was the gentleman who wrote 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and he lived on that street," Glaub said. "It was the 1800s, I mean, it was a different time, right? So, had the letters been just coming in since then? That's part of one of the mysteries of this is that, had this been going on since that time."
Nearly fifteen years after Glaub got that first letter, the mystery remains.
"People still, to this day, okay, they people still ask me, go like, well, where did the letters come from? And this answer is always the same, I don't know," he said. "It's incredible. So it is very randomly this one apartment, but it's, it's now sort of come into, like New York lore."
It started off slow but has picked up over time.
"It was one letter, it was two. The next week, it was 10,15, 30, and then eventually over 400 letters to Santa to our mailbox. It was absolutely overwhelming," Glaub said. "And so when you have something that's so big and so much, you're sort of in this moment where you're like, well, I can either just leave this or you have to take action, right?"
He chose action. First, getting his friends to fulfill the wishes.
"Heartbreaking stories of these kids and families that just needed a little bit of extra help," he said.
A spontaneous act of kindness that has evolved into something much bigger, a nonprofit, called "Miracle on 22nd Street."
"And so now, 14 years later, we are still running this organization that connects families in need with real-life elves," Glaub said. "We basically got organized and digitized all of the letters and created a website where people can essentially upload their photos, upload their Santa letters, and then get connected with elves through a profile. Last year we helped over 1,200 families."
One letter this year was from a 10-year-old girl who was asking for gifts for her little 2-year-old brother and her mom.
Another letter was from a mom looking for presents for her two precious sons, because she is out of work.
"I don't know, just got me that one. Just, just got me. All I want this Christmas is for my sons to have a great Christmas. I would really appreciate it if you'd be able to help me out with clothes, shoes and toys. Oh, my God, thank you for everything," Glaub said.
For Glaub, this is personal.
"I grew up really, I grew up really poor, too. And I remember there was a Christmas where we didn't, we didn't, Santa didn't stop by, but then later did, and I realized, I was like, oh, that's, that's what happened, is that my parents, had done something sort of similar to this. And I was like, oh, it's like, so I'm just so grateful that I have the opportunity to do that again," he said.
Glaub said that being a part of this has transformed him.
"It is changed everything. The biggest thing I've learned from this is that you can change things little by little, right? You can't. You can make a difference in the world just by doing lots of little things," Glaub said.
Glaub no longer lives in that apartment, so he writes a letter each year to the tenants asking them to save the letters for him so he can help fulfill their wish lists.
"And time and time again, all of the people that have lived there have been so bewitched by this," he said.
And in a twist that seems almost too perfect...
"I live in this building on this street, this apartment, and every year I get tons of letters to Santa," Virginia said.
The current keeper of this Christmas magic is named Virginia, as in the other "Miracle on 34th Street."
"I usually go see my family for Thanksgiving, and then when I get back from Thanksgiving, I'm like, this is it. I get to open up my mailbox and there's going to be something in there. And then I immediately text Jim and send him the first one and be like, it's here. It's starting," she said.
There's one letter that stands out to Virginia.
"So I got this one two years ago, and I kept it and, I mean, I read it every year," Virginia said. "This one is addressed to the Clauses, and it says, Dear Santa and helpers. This is a long shot, but i wanted at least to try. I am writing in hopes of some kind of Christmas cheer for my son's spirit, which is crushed. I am not sure what I will be able to do for him, or if this letter will reach you in time still, I had to try. We do not need fancy shoes or Xbox games, just some Christmas magic. He is a sweet boy who has a broken heart and spirit. I want to show him that our lives can be rich, even if our wallet is not. Please find it in your hearts for a card in a word of encouragement, he does not hear from his dad much, and since he left in September, I want him to know that he is not forgotten, that good things do happen to good people, and that the world still has good people in it. God bless, Merry Christmas. Tanya."
This unexplainable New York story has caught Hollywood's attention.
"I remember getting a message from Tina Fey that was like, 'Jim, it's Tina Fey, I love your story. I want to turn it into a movie.' this is crazy. So she's been writing this movie for a very long time, and it's essentially this origin story of these letters. I mean, how New York is that? Right? Tina Fey writing the next Christmas classic," Glaub said.
And maybe the real Miracle of 22nd Street isn't in the mystery, but rather in the moments of connection, the small acts of kindness that add up to something extraordinary.
"No one can change the world, but you can make it a little better just by doing something small. Everyone deserves to have that little bit of magic. Christmas is so extremely memorable for us as kids," Glaub said. "Even if you've had a really bad year, you can always look forward to the magic of Christmas. Everyone's a little happier, and you can finally feel like you've ended the year on a little bit of sparkle."
It is what New York and the holidays are all about.
"It really is. It's that magic we, New York, love this, that we love the like such a strange group of people that have come together and like trying to make it in this crazy town, and then, really, all we want is just a little bit of magic and a miracle," Glaub said.
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
