The Postal Service is reminding employees about a procedural change for the replenishment of flags distributed through the organization’s Burial Flag Program. Through the program, all retail Post Offices serve as a burial flag repository in accordance with Retail Operations Handbook PO-209 and Administrative Support Manual 474. Under the procedural change, which took effect in […]
Here are five things you should know about the origins of the U.S. postal system, which will mark its 245th anniversary on July 26. 1. The American postal system was established in Philadelphia. On July 26, 1775, members of the Second Continental Congress, meeting in the City of Brotherly Love, created the position of Postmaster […]
The virtual dedication ceremony for the Hip Hop stamp, highlighted in the article “Pump up the volume,” was excellent. Thanks to USPS for highlighting a culture that I’ve participated in since I was a teenager. […]
Michelle Mindziak, a USPS sales solution expert based in Southeastern, PA, was traveling last year with colleagues for work when they faced a weather delay at the Orlando, FL, airport. The group took the opportunity to dine at an airport restaurant, where a crisis soon erupted when a nearby toddler began choking. As the child’s […]
If you’ve enjoyed “Hamilton,” this summer’s stage-turned-streaming blockbuster, you’ve probably thought, “Gee, why should the Department of the Treasury have all the fun? Where’s a Postal Service-loving Broadway musical?” Aha! Don’t you remember “Mail”? It’s OK, it’s been a while. You know, like, 32-years-a-while. And it ran for a month. Still! “Mail” represents the highest-profile, […]
To mark Tax Day on July 15, here are five things you may not have known. 1. The federal income tax was introduced during the Civil War. The Revenue Act of 1861 introduced the tax as a means to finance the war. These days, as USA Today noted last year, most tax dollars are used […]
In a time when Zoom calls and texts can be emotionally draining, mailing someone a handwritten letter is often personally enriching, according to a New York Times opinion piece published this week. Jordan Salama, a travel journalist who penned the essay, describes picking up a letter-writing habit as a way to help him cope during […]
Customers can now use self-service kiosks in Post Offices to schedule passport application appointments. Beginning July 13, the scheduling option will allow customers to avoid lines and adhere to social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic. To make an appointment, customers will select “New Passport Only” or “New Passport with Photo Services” on a self-service […]
Jeffersonville, GA, Rural Carrier John Newby was delivering mail one day last December when he heard someone yelling for help. Newby soon spotted a customer who had been stranded for two hours on a second-floor balcony at her home. The woman, who had accidentally locked herself out while hanging holiday decorations, asked Newby to enter […]
More than 7 million Healing PTSD stamps have been sold since its release last year, raising $717,000 to fund research about post-traumatic stress disorder. The funding is being disbursed to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “Thanks to the millions of Americans who purchased the Healing PTSD stamp, VA will continue to study, create awareness, […]
USPS has ended an extended grace period for nonpayment and resumed normal billing for PO Box customers. On three occasions in recent months, the Postal Service extended the usual 10-day payment grace period to 30 days to assist PO Box customers affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Starting July 1, the Web Box Activity Tracking System […]
The federal government is allowing expanded use of flexible spending accounts under a new law designed to help people during the national economic downturn. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was signed into law in March, includes two provisions that affect flexible spending accounts: • Over-the-counter drugs and medicine. The CARES […]
To help mark the release of the Fruits and Vegetables stamps next week, here are five facts about everyone’s favorite edible plants. 1. Neither fruits nor vegetables are the nation’s largest crop. Sorry, fruit and veggie fans, but that distinction belongs to a grain: corn, the most widely produced crop in the United States. More […]
Letter Carrier Aiden Cho was recently stopped at an intersection while delivering mail in Port Washington, NY, when a nearby driver suddenly turned on his hazard lights, got out of his car and approached the postal vehicle. The man was gasping for air, so Cho asked him, “Are you choking?” The distressed driver nodded. Cho […]
Thank you, Link, for delivering positive news and information each day. It’s inspiring to read about Postal Service employees doing so much to help others during the coronavirus pandemic. It gives me hope. […]
The Postal Service has reduced greenhouse gas emissions from facilities, vehicles and utilities by 22.4 percent since 2008 — the equivalent of removing more than 250,000 cars from the road in a single year, new data shows. The information is included in the latest USPS Annual Sustainability Report, which was published last week. The report […]
The HERO system has a new feature that encourages employees to complete their HEROProfile, which could help them advance their USPS careers. The HEROProfile allows employees to present a consolidated view of their professional information that managers, supervisors and colleagues can use to assess their skills, talents and experience. When employees log into HERO, they’ll […]
The Postal Service will release its Hip Hop stamps on July 1, celebrating a music, dance and art movement that has profoundly influenced American and global culture. The term “hip-hop” encompasses rapping, DJing, break dancing and graffiti art. The movement was born in the streets of New York City during the mid-1970s and went on […]
Independence Day, the holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, is this week. Here are seven facts courtesy of an organization devoted to another famous document — the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. 1. The Continental Congress officially declared its freedom from Britain on July 2, 1776. After voting on independence, the […]
I loved the “Humor us” article featuring mail-themed dad jokes. They brought a smile to my face. I may not be a dad, but I can certainly “deliver” these to someone who needs a smile. […]
Rural Carrier Howard Willis was making deliveries last December in Kannapolis, NC, when he stopped to check on an older customer facing hardship and see if the man had any outgoing mail. At the customer’s front door, Willis found the man in a wheelchair — unclothed and covered in blood from a head injury sustained […]
The Postal Service has introduced an online form to help customers who send Political Mail. Political Mail consists of mailings from registered political candidates, parties and related organizations like political action committees. USPS delivered a record 3 billion pieces of Political Mail during the 2018 midterm election cycle — a number that could grow this […]
To help mark the release of the Enjoy the Great Outdoors stamps, here are three facts about the National Park Service. 1. The National Park Service is more than a century old. Although President Ulysses S. Grant signed an 1872 bill that established Yellowstone National Park as the nation’s first national park, the park service […]
Ken Rodin, the Bristol, CT, carrier technician highlighted in “Heaven-sent,” is an angel. When a grieving little girl asked him to deliver a letter to her pet in heaven, he did something wonderful. Grieving is tough. Rodin helped the child and her family. […]
Letter Carrier Brenda Martin was recently making deliveries in Gillespie, IL, when she grew concerned about an older customer whose mail was piling up over several days and whose car had not been moved during that time. After knocking on doors at the man’s residence and getting no response, Martin checked with neighbors, then decided […]
Americans owe Megan J. Brennan, the nation’s 74th Postmaster General, “a big thank you,” Paul Steidler writes in a new article for Lexington Institute, a public policy think tank. Steidler, a senior fellow with the Arlington, VA-based institute, highlights multiple accomplishments during Brennan’s tenure, which recently concluded with her retirement and succession by the 75th […]
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar on meditation. The session, “Emotional Well-Being Through Meditation,” will be held Wednesday, June 24, at noon EDT. GEHA, a not-for-profit provider of health plans for federal employees, will conduct the webinar, which will focus on walking meditation, a technique that combines physical exercise with the stress-reducing […]
About 5,800 Postal Service employees were attacked by dogs in 2019. To help mark USPS National Dog Bite Awareness Week, which runs June 14-20, here’s a list of the cities with the most dog attacks against postal workers last year, along with the number of reported incidents in each location. 1. Houston (85) 2. Los […]
Rural Carrier Lynn Fritzsche was recently on duty in Collinsville, IL, when she stopped at a customer’s home to deliver an item that needed a signature. As soon as Stephanie Green opened her front door, Fritzsche detected an odor of natural gas. Worried for the safety of Green and her two young children, Fritzsche encouraged […]
Congratulations to USPS for ranking first in a consumer survey on the performance of major businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. […]