Many of the tens of thousands of letters that Globe Santa receives each year contain a familiar sentiment: It’s hard to ask for help.

A father living on the South Shore has written on behalf of five of his children because he was recently laid off from his job of more than 15 years. He has long been used to providing for the family, but without steady work, and with a large family to support, he knew he needed a hand this Christmas.

“This is probably the most difficult letter I’ve had to write. I am asking for any help you can provide so that they will remember this Christmas as a happy time, not a time when Dad was stressing about being able to pay the mortgage or wondering how to put food on the table,’’ he wrote. “Christmas isn’t about the gifts to me, but to the kids, Santa and the gifts are a large part of it.’’

The family has always lived modestly, he wrote, but it has never encountered the painful choices faced now.

Since 1956, when Globe Santa, now a program of the Boston Globe Foundation, visited 6,200 households in Greater Boston, the campaign has delivered presents to almost 2.9 million children throughout Eastern Massachusetts who celebrate Christmas in the Santa Claus tradition.

This year, Santa will not forget the family of the father who swallowed his pride to write a heartfelt letter about his children and their dreams for Christmas Day, while still holding out hope for better times.

“I know everything happens for a reason and that things will work out the way they’re supposed to,’’ he said in closing.

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Christopher Tangney can be reached at ctangney22@hot-mail.com.