Rural Carrier Raymond Luna recently smelled smoke as he delivered a package to a customer in Lyles, TN. At her front door, the woman told Luna not to worry because she had been burning brush. But as he started to leave, he saw black smoke pouring from the rear of the house. The Postal Service […]
You’ve probably seen her around your workplace. Deborah Valentine is one of several USPS employees who appear on posters to promote the current Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), which is underway through Jan. 12. The Washington, DC, retail associate became involved in the campaign’s marketing efforts after serving a customer who works for the National Capital […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees to dress warmly when working outside this winter. 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 colder. […]
The Postal Service has made improvements to prepare for the flurry of consumers returning holiday gifts through the mail. Approximately 15-30 percent of items bought online during the holidays will be returned, according to the National Retail Federation. To help these businesses, USPS has expanded its returns processing capabilities, which include more than 16,000 return […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.57 percent during the week ending Dec. 29, up from one week earlier. Eastern (97.74 percent) topped the districts, while Dakotas (98.81 percent) led the areas. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail. It also helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]
I love reading Link’s stories about postal history and looking at the vintage pictures. The stories about railroad routes and “Stagecoach Mary” were great. I also enjoy “The list” when it includes fun facts about Post Offices. […]
Postal Service employees were recognized throughout 2017 for moments when co-workers needed a heroic helping hand. Dodge City, KS, Letter Carrier Rex Romesburg was among those who performed the Heimlich maneuver on co-workers who were choking. Others, like Adam Quiles Jr., a mail handler equipment operator in Honolulu, rushed to the aid of co-workers injured […]
Spring began with the national rollout of Informed Delivery, a new feature that provides residential consumers with digital previews of their incoming mail. PMG Megan J. Brennan discussed the free feature at the 2017 National Postal Forum in Baltimore. “Informed Delivery brings mail into the daily digital lives of consumers, building anticipation of the physical […]
Postal Service employees delivered excellent customer service throughout 2017. A trio of employees from different USPS areas — Sherri Andrews (Great Lakes), Sharon Bayly (Capital Metro) and Awjanae Johnson (Pacific) — saved on customer’s honeymoon by reuniting him with his passport just in time for his flight. Another trio — Yvonne Bradbury, who works in […]
Several USPS retirees made news in 2017, along with employees who concluded their postal careers. Harold “Sundance” Thomas, a retired mail handler in Memphis, TN, performed on “America’s Got Talent,” while Charles Wiggins, a 100-year-old World War II veteran and former postal worker, received a tribute from the Pittsburgh Steelers. A retired letter carrier, Jim […]
Every weekday, the Link team is privileged to tell the stories of Postal Service employees. Here are 12 favorites from 2017 that include both reader submissions and selections from our team. 1. Keys to recovery. Link had boots on the ground in the Florida Keys after Hurricane Irma, and our writer and photographer brought back […]
San Antonio Letter Carrier Marcos Perez III recently became one of just a handful of people in South Texas to reach a remarkable milestone: donating 100 gallons of blood. The achievement, which has received international media attention, has earned him recognition as a PMG Hero. “Mr. Perez is what you’d consider an all-star for the […]
The “Write brothers” story about the newly discovered World War II letters would make a good movie. […]
The Postal Service has added package tracking information to the emails that Informed Delivery users receive. The tracking information appears below the letter-size mailpiece images in the “daily digest” emails. This information is also available on the Informed Delivery online dashboard and app. In addition to tracking packages through Informed Delivery, users can leave delivery […]
Santa’s big helper. A Truckee, CA, customer recently spent $15,000 granting kids’ holiday wishes through Operation Santa. “I couldn’t think of a better thing to do than to answer a letter to Santa Claus,” said Ryan Wood, who “adopted” 35 letters, fulfilling the wishes of 150 children in need. Wood assembled a group of volunteers […]
It’s almost over. The Postal Service’s busiest period of the holiday season will conclude this weekend. USPS is on track to process and deliver nearly 200 million packages from Dec. 18-24, along with almost 3 billion greeting cards and other First-Class Mail pieces. This week’s totals include an estimated 6 million packages that will be […]
The “Write brothers” story is a prime example of why letter writing is so important. If the brothers had exchanged e-mails or text messages instead of handwritten letters, their stories would have been lost forever. […]
When Rock, WV, Rural Carrier Patricia Matney recently rushed to the aid of a riding lawn mower accident victim, she was helping not only a customer, but a Postal Service colleague. Matney was delivering mail at the man’s residence when she saw that he was trapped beneath an overturned mower with smoke pouring from it. […]
Thomas Jasak and his wife recently continued one of their favorite holiday traditions: mailing Christmas cards — 125 in all — to their friends and relatives. “It’s important to us because it’s nice to keep in touch with people to let them know we’re thinking of them,” said Jasak, a Vaucluse, SC, retail associate. Although […]
The Postal Service’s network distribution centers are playing a key role in moving packages this holiday season. The 21 centers, located across the nation, help process a variety of mailpieces — including bulk shipments that arrive from major retailers fulfilling customers’ holiday orders. “What fuels the engines of these systems is scanning,” said Joseph Kielbasa, […]
Holidays with Hizzoner. Letter Carrier Ryan Grimley was doing collections in New York City last week when he spotted Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife, Chirlane McCray, walking along Sixth Avenue. To get the mayor’s attention, Grimley called out his first name: “Bill!” “That’s Mayor Bill!” de Blasio replied with a chuckle. Grimley asked […]
Keep those news quizzes coming. They are interactive and engaging. […]
Letter Carrier Daniel Grubic was recently delivering mail in a Glenshaw, PA, neighborhood when he smelled smoke. The concerned employee soon spotted the source: It was billowing from a home’s dryer vent. Grubic rushed to the front door and knocked while calling 911. A customer came to the door with his dog — both disoriented […]
Bernice Redden has witnessed firsthand the power of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). The Clearwater, FL, customer services supervisor credits several CFC charities with helping her son, Adrian, learn to walk after he was born with cerebral palsy in 1984. “His limbs were so tight he couldn’t use them that well,” she said. Adrian had […]
The Postal Inspection Service is offering letter carriers and other employees some safety tips for the holiday delivery season: • Avoid becoming a target. Don’t display mobile phones or other electronic devices while on your route. Avoid wearing jewelry and minimize the amount of cash you carry. • Stay alert. Don’t wear headphones so you […]
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. 11, at 11:59 p.m. EST. This is the last chance most employees will have until next November to consider new options. Employees can choose from a variety of […]
Mary’s melody. The gun-toting mail pioneer known as “Stagecoach Mary” now has her own song. Mary Fields (1832-1914), the nation’s first known African-American woman mail carrier, is immortalized in a song on the new album “Songs for Extraordinary People” by Michael Hearst. Hearst’s songs are dedicated to the well-known and lesser-known people whose lives he […]
John Lawless, the USPS employee who became a viral video star, epitomizes the quote, “Dance like no one is watching.” Thanks for the smile, John. […]
Letter Carrier Charlie Bradford was recently delivering mail in New Orleans when his day was disrupted by an SUV speeding in the wrong direction on a one-way street. The SUV crashed into several parked vehicles before coming to a stop, with the driver trapped inside. The man kicked out a window but couldn’t extricate himself, […]
USPS dedicated its Alzheimer’s semipostal stamp Nov. 30 in Baltimore. “The Postal Service is proud to issue this stamp today to help raise public awareness of Alzheimer’s,” said PMG Megan J. Brennan, who led the dedication ceremony. “Proceeds from its sale will help support urgently needed medical research into this incredibly debilitating disease.” More than […]