Melissa Valone knows a good opportunity when she sees one. Valone, a retail associate at the Brookville, PA, Post Office, recently served a local tourism official who mentioned his organization was looking to beef up its marketing efforts. She figured the Postal Service could help the bureau achieve its goal, so she submitted a sales […]
My name is Jamicia Davidson and I’m a program specialist within the Postal Inspection Service’s Communications, Governance and Strategy group in Washington, DC. I help protect the agency’s brand, including processing requests to use its logo and trademarked artwork on brochures, promotional products and other items. Additionally, I grant Inspection Service employees access to the investigative […]
Martha Deitrich and her family have regularly used mail to stay in touch for more than 60 years. They exchange letters using the “family circle” method. “When you get a letter, you read it, then write a new one to send to the next person,” said Deitrich, a Bellefonte, PA, resident. “We try to not […]
Letter Carrier Brian Baber was recently delivering mail in a Youngstown, OH, neighborhood when he recognized a 91-year-old customer who has Alzheimer’s disease walking alongside a road. Because he knew where the woman lived, Baber safely guided her home and left her in the care of her husband, who had been showering when she wandered […]
I read Link every morning. It’s always informative and interesting. […]
In 1985, when Sheldon Yellen joined the company he now leads, it had a single office with 19 employees. To strengthen new relationships, he started a tradition of writing personalized birthday cards for his colleagues every year. More than three decades later, a few things have changed. Today, Yellen is the chief executive officer of […]
My name is Shazadi Malik and I’m a parcel post distribution clerk at the Merrifield, VA, Processing and Distribution Center. I operate a machine that helps process packages, which are increasingly important to the Postal Service’s business. In addition to operating the Automated Parcel Bundle Sorter, I help with special mailings when needed. I’m a […]
The Postal Service wants employees to dress warmly when working outside during winter weather. Here are some tips: • Layer up. Each layer provides insulation and acts as a barrier from the cold to help retain body heat. Avoid pure cotton, linen or similar materials because they retain moisture and can cause you to become […]
New discounts. The Postal Service is offering a new higher education discount for employees and their immediate family members. Champlain College is offering a tuition discount of 16 percent for undergraduate degrees and 50 percent for graduate degrees. The college, based in Burlington, VT, offers online associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. The Employee Deals LiteBlue […]
I was deeply touched and inspired by “‘I love it,’” the article about how Cross River, NY, Postmaster Clarence “Thomas” Carson overcame homelessness and drug addiction. His amazing journey brought a tear to my eyes and a smile to my face. […]
The Postal Service has released a video with highlights from the recent Healing PTSD semipostal stamp dedication ceremony. The video shows Koby Langley, an American Red Cross senior vice president, discussing the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on military veterans and others. “When we see this stamp on a letter, the message is being sent […]
The Postal Service wants employees to follow the organization’s procedures for environmental agency inspection visits. USPS must cooperate fully with environmental agency inspectors. If a representative from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or a state or local environmental regulation agency visits a postal facility to conduct a site inspection, the facility head must immediately report […]
Riene Ugalano doesn’t consider herself a superhero, but the Azusa, CA, retail associate wields enough power between her thumb and index finder to change lives during the holiday season. Ugalano purchases Love stamps with her own money and gives them to strangers, making each one promise he or she will use the postage to mail […]
Postal Service employees across the nation are working to complete special deliveries for customers, who are expressing their appreciation. Sawyer Hendrickson, 10, visits the Ludington, MI, Post Office throughout the holiday season to ship care packages to military members serving overseas. She began the tradition four years ago when her brother was deployed abroad and […]
Postal Service workers across the nation have been enjoying quick peeks at Santa Claus this holiday season. The big guy has appeared in and around postal spaces to bring cheer to the community and his favorite holiday helpers. Loreauville, LA, Postmaster Karen Boudreaux and Retail Associate Wendy Breaux were helping children write letters to the […]
The Postal Service’s busiest week of the holiday season is about to begin. The organization predicts it will deliver almost 2.5 billion pieces of mail — including more than 28 million packages per day — from Dec. 16-21. Overall, USPS plans to deliver about 800 million packages between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, with more […]
I enjoyed the “Letters from Hollywood” article very much. I even ordered the book for a Christmas gift. Keep up the wonderful work. […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees to proceed with caution when exchanging gifts. Generally, an employee shouldn’t give a gift to a manager or higher-paid colleague. Likewise, a gift shouldn’t be accepted from a subordinate or lower-paid employee. There are exceptions. For example, a non-cash gift worth $10 or less to a manager on birthdays, […]
A USPS employee receives praise from colleagues — and his younger brother — in a new video. “Roche’s Story” showcases Roche Schlegel, an electronics technician at the Pittsburgh Processing and Distribution Center. The video shows Roche working on machines while employees describe his efforts and thank him for his contributions to the plant’s operations. Says […]
Link wants to hear from more Postal Service employees who have benefited from the Combined Federal Campaign, the annual federal workplace charity drive that is now underway. The campaign, also known as the CFC, allows employees to donate to more than 7,000 charities. Since the current campaign began in September, Link has showcased: • Amy […]
Honoring Duncan. Robert M. Duncan, chairman of the USPS Board of Governors, was recently honored by his alma mater, the University of Kentucky. Duncan received the Kentucky Public Service Hall of Fame Award from the university’s Martin School of Public Policy and Administration during a Nov. 22 ceremony. Duncan is a longtime public servant whose […]
The Postal Service has announced holiday hours for Post Offices and blue collection boxes: • Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Some Post Offices may have limited hours Tuesday, Dec. 24. Post Offices will be open regular business hours Tuesday, Dec. 31. Blue boxes with final collection times before noon will not be affected by […]
Looking to stuff some stockings this holiday season? The Postal Service has you covered. The organization wants employees and customers to know about a variety of holiday-themed stamp collectibles available on usps.com. For example: USPS offers a 55-cent souvenir sheet from last year’s Sparkling Holidays stamp release that features a detail of a Haddon Sundblom […]
The popular Netflix drama “The Crown” recently used postage stamps as a symbolic backdrop to mark a pivotal casting change. The series chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II. During its first two seasons, which followed Elizabeth from 1947-1964, the role was played by Claire Foy, but for the newly launched third season, which spans […]
Want to give the Link team a gift this holiday season? Send us an email or two. Your feedback fills our “Mailbag” column and helps us shape our coverage of the Postal Service. If you have thoughts on recent stories, let us know. For example: What did you think of “A grandmother’s love,” the recent […]
If you want to change your health benefits or enroll in a new plan, you must act now. The annual open season benefits enrollment period ends Monday, Dec. 9, at 11:59 p.m. EST. This is the last chance most Postal Service employees will have until next November to consider new health, vision, dental or flexible […]
East Palestine, OH, City Carrier Assistant Timothy Henry was delivering mail in July when he spotted a customer outside a residence who had apparently collapsed in the heat. Henry rushed to aid the man, who was groggy and bleeding from leg and face injuries. The Postal Service employee immediately called 911 and comforted the customer […]
The Postal Service is promoting its “Shipping Tips” videos series as the organization prepares for the holiday delivery season. The five segments, which are featured on the USPS Holiday Newsroom site, offer tips to customers on the basics of packing, addressing and mailing packages. One video, “How to Pack a Box,” available in English and […]
You have two more weeks to change your health coverage or enroll in a new plan. Open season, the annual period when USPS employees can make benefits changes, ends Monday, Dec. 9. Employees can choose from a variety of health, vision and dental coverage through the following programs and plans: Federal Employees Health Benefits Program […]
The Postal Service explains how to ship cremated remains in a new video. “If you’ve lost a loved one, a friend or a pet and need to send their cremated remains to a final resting place, the United States Postal Service is here to help,” the narrator says. The video explains how the organization’s new […]