This is the 200th edition of “The List” since the column’s 2017 debut. To mark the occasion, here are 10 facts from previous editions. 1. Abraham Lincoln and Harry S. Truman are the only Postmasters who have been elected president (so far). In 1833, when he was 24, Lincoln was appointed Postmaster of New Salem, […]
Letter Carrier Peter Mellerski was delivering mail one day last winter in Tonawanda, NY, when he spotted an older customer in distress: The coatless man was sitting in snow outside his home, his hands bloody after he’d fallen while retrieving his newspaper. Mellerski rushed to aid the customer, who was disoriented by the accident, and […]
I thought that was Broadway star Leslie Odom Jr. singing “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” in the Postal Service’s holiday TV commercial! I’m a fan. He’s a great talent. […]
Postal Service employees across the nation are going the extra mile to help customers send seasonal cheer to loved ones in the military who can’t be home for the holidays. In Durand, IL, a USPS retail associate, Hilary Deppe, stepped in when a local school district decided to suspend its annual holiday care package program […]
This year, people are ordering more merchandise online than ever before, resulting in millions of USPS package deliveries each day. Postal inspectors are offering tips on how to prevent these parcels from becoming targets of theft during the holiday season. In a new public service announcement, the Inspection Service encourages customers to customize their package […]
USPS is offering savings on Visa gift card purchases at select Post Offices this month. From Dec. 19-Jan. 1, customers and employees will receive $3.95 off the purchase fee of Visa gift cards valued at $100. Variable load gift cards are excluded. No coupon is needed. […]
The Eagleville, PA, Post Office celebrated last month’s Customer Connect Day by honoring two carriers whose leads have resulted in almost $892,000 in new revenue for the Postal Service. Customer Connect Day took place on Nov. 17 and focuses on the joint program between USPS and the National Association of Letter Carriers that encourages carriers […]
Letter Carrier Joseph McDonald III was recently delivering mail in a La Grange, IL, neighborhood when he noticed a customer mowing grass in a nearby yard. Suddenly the man’s toddler daughter raced out of their home, running straight toward a busy intersection. Realizing instantly that her dad wouldn’t be able to reach her in time, […]
To help you get ready for Kwanzaa, here are five things to know about the pan-African holiday. 1. Kwanzaa was created in 1966. Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies at California State University, established Kwanzaa in 1966 as a cultural celebration of African heritage and family. From the beginning, Kwanzaa has been a time […]
Here’s a look at some recent changes in the USPS leadership ranks: • Julie Batchelor, enterprise access infrastructure manager, was named endpoint technology manager. • Angela Dyer, business acceptance solutions director, was named acting computer operations manager. • Kristin Solomon-Fish, threat operations manager, was named information technology performance achievement manager. […]
The Postal Service wants to make sure you know how to safely wear and remove face coverings during the coronavirus pandemic. The organization requires all employees to wear face coverings when there is a state or local order to do so or when social distancing of at least 6 feet cannot be maintained. To safely […]
Since the Postal Service’s holiday TV commercial debuted last month, many employees have had one question on their minds: Who performs the stirring rendition of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” in the ad? The voice belongs to one of Broadway’s biggest stars: Leslie Odom Jr., who won a Tony Award in 2016 for his role […]
Rural Carrier Melissa Melhorn was recently delivering a parcel at a residence in East Berlin, PA, when she spotted unusual movement in the garage. Concerned, Melhorn knocked on the front door and alerted the older customer who answered. They checked the garage and found the woman’s husband unconscious on the floor. The man soon came […]
Parents seeking new ways to keep their kids engaged during the coronavirus pandemic are turning to a resource that has been around for generations: the U.S. Mail. Moms and dads are encouraging their children to write cards and letters to friends and relatives they can’t see in person due to the pandemic. Families are also […]
The Postal Regulatory Commission has approved the price changes that USPS proposed in the fall. The changes will raise Shipping Services product prices approximately 3.5 percent for Priority Mail service and 1.2 percent for Priority Mail Express service, while Mailing Services product prices will rise approximately 1.7 percent. The changes, which the Postal Service proposed […]
The Postal Service wants employees to remember the proper procedures for ordering face coverings during the coronavirus pandemic. Generally, only district supply coordinators should order face coverings. Individual employees should not order coverings, including off-catalog purchasing. However, Postal Inspection Service and some maintenance employees are permitted to use off-catalog means to purchase certain masks. The […]
A retail associate’s talk with a customer at the counter has resulted in a shipping deal worth more than $70,000. Raymond Ramos, who works at the Grand Prairie, TX, Main Post Office, spoke with a customer who sells point-of-sale equipment and was looking for ways to save on shipping. Ramos then submitted the customer’s contact […]
If you want to change your health benefits or enroll in a new plan, you must act soon. The annual open season benefits enrollment period ends Monday, Dec. 14, 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 […]
I was touched by Emerson Weber, the South Dakota girl who wrote a children’s book about her letter carrier and the importance of the Postal Service. I’m buying the book for my nephew and me. […]
Rural Carrier Cheryl Sechelski and Rural Carier Associate Mark Husfeld were recently making deliveries in Navasota, TX, when they came upon a customer in crisis. As the duo took a parcel to the man’s residence, they heard him yelling for help. They opened the door and found that the customer, who lives alone and has […]
To help mark the start of Hanukkah this week, here are five things to know about the Jewish holiday. 1. Hanukkah celebrates the reclaiming of the Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. The Temple had been desecrated by a conquering army. Worshippers prepared to rededicate the holy space but discovered that only one […]
Here’s a look at some recent changes in the USPS leadership ranks: • Janie M. Beltran, the Southern Maine Processing and Distribution Center’s plant manager, was named the Albany, NY, Processing and Distribution Center’s acting plant manager. She succeeds Lawrence “Buddy” Crosby, who has resumed his regular duties as the Providence, RI, Processing and Distribution […]
A newly updated video about the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) reminds employees to conduct a “health plan checkup” during this year’s open season. The three-minute video, “FEHB Health Plans: Your Changing Life,” encourages employees to evaluate their health care options to ensure they have the coverage they need. The video also explains how […]
If you don’t use direct deposit to receive your Postal Service paycheck, the organization wants you to sign up as soon as possible to avoid potential network disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. While no disruptions are expected, taking advantage of the direct deposit option is a wise precautionary measure. Employees who already have direct […]
Letter Carrier Jose Colon Sr. was recently delivering mail in a Cincinnati neighborhood when he heard someone yelling for help in a garage. Colon entered the space and found a customer in her 80s who had fallen and broken her femur, leaving her incapacitated for some time. The Postal Service employee immediately called 911, as […]
The roster of upcoming stamps featured in “Hello, 2021” are some of the most beautiful designs I have seen in my 35 years with the Postal Service. With the coronavirus pandemic and all the challenges we face, we need vibrant and uplifting stamps to brighten our day. I am pleased and honored to sell these […]
Michael Elmore believes the coronavirus pandemic has made the Postal Service’s unofficial motto — Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds — more important than ever. “Sometimes, customers are waiting for me,” the part-time flexible carrier said. “They might need their […]
Ready to make some holiday magic? Beginning Dec. 4, you can go to the USPS Operation Santa website to read letters from children and others who are less fortunate this holiday season. You can then pick one or more letter to “adopt” and follow the directions on how to make the writer’s wishes come true. […]
USPS Motor Vehicle Safety Month, a time to raise employee awareness about the importance of safe driving — especially during the busy holiday season — is now underway. While safe driving is important year-round, it is particularly critical in December when the organization historically experiences increases in vehicle accidents as employees, including new temporary hires, […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees that they can use Checkbook’s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees to compare their options during this year’s open season. The online tool has information about all plans available through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. This includes information on copays, deductibles, prescription drug costs, and whether dental […]