Posters in Spanish break down barriers

If you think about it, where is it written that Santa Claus only speaks English?

More likely, Santa is multilingual, able to understand the wishes of all children regardless of what language they use when writing letters to him in the North Pole or when whispering their Christmas gift wishes in his ear when they see him in person.

And in Boston, Globe Santa has adopted that view as he again goes about his work.

For the second year, Globe Santa communicates with people in need not only in English, but in Spanish, too.

Globe Santa provides Spanish-language posters and other materials to agencies serving the Hispanic community. That way, he hopes to reach Spanish-speaking people throughout Eastern Massachusetts who may need his help in providing Christmas gifts for their children that they do not have the money themselves to buy.

''It's our way of helping social services agencies answer some of the questions involved in the Globe Santa program," said William Connolly, director of Globe Santa. ''The posters let them know Globe Santa exists and what they have to do to apply for assistance."

This year Globe Santa surveyed social services agencies about what other languages Globe Santa materials should be printed in. The agencies overwhelmingly said Spanish.

Last year, Globe Santa raised $1,280,262 and delivered toys to 54,942 children in 28,003 homes.

Globe Santa staff members include people who are bilingual and can translate letters written in Spanish.

Globe Santa has received more than 20,000 letters this year, about 10 percent of them in Spanish. Many other letters are written in English on behalf of Spanish speakers.

Jose Morell, a therapist at Lynn Community Health Center, said the Spanish-language posters are a welcome addition to the center.

''They're posted in every waiting room," he said. ''We've always gathered letters and mailed them off for clients. Now they're able to take responsibility and mail them out for themselves."

Forty percent of the center's patient population is Latino, Morell said, so the Spanish-language posters are essential. ''People who never knew about the program before are now informed," he said