Do you know the difference between a deductible and a copayment? If not, don’t feel bad. Many people are confused by health insurance terminology. To help you navigate your way through this year’s open season, here are some important definitions: Deductible: The amount you pay for covered health care services before your health plan starts […]
It’s your move. USPS employees who seek authorized relocation expenses from Nov. 20-Dec. 31 will not receive disbursements or reimbursements until Jan. 2. The Postal Service has set Nov. 22 as the expense cut-off date for 2017 relocation expenses. Relocation expense reimbursement requests must be emailed to customer.usgovt@bgrs.com, faxed to 866-629-1563 or mailed to: Brookfield […]
Postal Service employees delivering mail in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania recently came to the aid of older customers in moments of need. In Racine, WI, a woman collapsed in front of City Carrier Assistant McClarney Bell as he was handing mail to her. Bell immediately called 911 and comforted the customer until emergency responders arrived and […]
Read More… from McClarney Bell, Racine, WI; Leigh Ann Burleigh, Tionesta, PA
Kudos to Picayune, MS, Carrier Technician Quiana Whitehead on her quick thinking and presence of mind to call 911 before using the Heimlich maneuver to save a choking child. […]
Sears is turning to the mail to boost its holiday sales. The department store chain is reviving its Wish Book, the iconic publication that was a holiday staple for millions of families for almost 80 years. Select customers will receive a 120-page Wish Book — last printed in 2011 — in their mailboxes this year. […]
It’s going to be a busy season for everyone in the delivery business. Like the Postal Service, UPS and FedEx are also expecting seasonal shipping increases. Package deliveries in the United States are projected to surge as online sales jump 18-21 percent from last year, according to one estimate. USPS expects to deliver 850 million […]
The Postal Service retiree who recently appeared on “Family Feud” went home a champion. Michael Bulbuk, who retired last month from his Novi, MI, customer services supervisor position, and his family appeared on five episodes over five days. Their winnings: more than $42,000 and a new car. “Watching it on TV was different, but it […]
Flag notice. Saturday, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day, one of six days each year that Postal Service facilities are required to fly the POW-MIA flag. Because Veterans Day is a designated USPS holiday, the POW-MIA flag should be raised Friday, Nov. 10. The flag honors the sacrifices made by members of the armed forces held as prisoners of […]
For almost 30 years, Albuquerque, NM, Letter Carrier Nestor Duran has served his country in one uniform or another. Duran was in the Navy for four years before joining the Postal Service in 1993. He continued in the Navy Reserve for 20 more years. Despite the contrast between serving in the Navy and working for […]
The “Heroes’ corner” story about Oakland, CA, Letter Carrier Farid Ait Djebara rescuing a woman who was shot was inspiring. He’s truly an amazing man — a real hero. […]
Postal Service employees delivering mail in Missouri and Kentucky recently came to the aid of customers who were hurt. Tuscumbia, MO, Rural Carrier Tony Williams encountered a man who’d fallen outside his home on a hot day. The man’s wife wanted to drive him to a hospital instead of calling for an ambulance, but she […]
Read More… from Tony Williams, Tuscumbia, MO; Kelly Carter, Louisville, KY
Postal Service employees across the nation joined forces in October to raise awareness of breast cancer. Their efforts included promoting the Breast Cancer Research stamp, participating in Wear Pink Day Oct. 20, decorating retail lobbies and honoring co-workers affected by the disease. “When you look at the data, at some point we will all likely […]
The Oakland Athletics recently pitched in to help a 9-year-old fan who wrote to the team after the California wildfires destroyed his collection of baseball cards and jerseys. After 9-year-old Loren Smith’s Santa Rosa home was reduced to ashes during the fires, he wrote to his favorite team to let its members know he lost […]
USPS offers several instructional videos that can help customers who plan to ship parcels this fall and winter, including holiday packages to friends and family and care packages to hurricane victims in the Caribbean. The four videos are part of the “Shipping Tips” series and address topics like packing, parcel tracking and insurance. The videos […]
The Postal Service’s Consumer Advisory Councils (CACs) are continuing their efforts to strengthen connections between USPS and consumers. CACs, groups that are comprised of consumers and local postal leaders, work to improve customers’ experiences. For example, the Dickinson, ND, CAC recently hosted an event at the Post Office where customers could meet Postmaster Daniel Adams. […]
Postal Service employees delivering mail in Wisconsin and Texas recently came to the aid of customers who fell. Cashton, WI, Rural Carrier Associate Rolv Ihle had a package for a man who was waiting for him at his mailbox. As the customer turned to walk away, he took a spill and cut his head. Ihle […]
Read More… from Rolv Ihle, Cashton, WI; Reva Dishman, Nocona, TX
“Hidden memories,” the story about a Vietnam soldier’s lost letters to his family, was especially powerful to me as a veteran. I’ve re-read a few letters that I wrote to my wife when I was deployed. Written words have a power that you just don’t get from a text or email. […]
Some USPS employees will see a familiar face on “Family Feud” this week. Novi, MI, Customer Services Supervisor Michael Bulbuk will be a contestant on the TV game show, along with his son, daughter-in-law, a nephew and the nephew’s wife. “It was quite the experience. We had a blast,” said Bulbuk. “We’ve always been real […]
Scott Hicks knows a lot about USPS products and services. The Culpeper, VA, retail associate, who was recently named Northern Virginia District’s Retail Associate of the Year, has learned to anticipate his customers’ needs. “They want to know when their Priority Mail package will arrive and how much it will cost,” says Hicks, who also […]
A mailpiece from a little girl is providing daily inspiration to an Air Force master sergeant who is working long days to help Puerto Rico recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria. “I don’t know who she is or where she is from, but she is giving me a smile every single day,” Master […]
Project Showcase. The Postal Service has introduced a site to highlight continuous improvement projects from across the nation. The site, Project Showcase, lists a variety of projects and background information, including PowerPoint presentations, newsletter articles and more. Projects currently listed include efforts to improve the Austin, TX, Vehicle Maintenance Facility; strengthen safety at the McDonough, […]
Mary Sinkfield Leach, the Ohio plant manager profiled in “Full house,” truly is an inspiration. I did foster care for four years. I know how much these precious little children need a positive and nurturing adult in their lives. […]
Postal Service employees delivering mail in New York and Maryland recently came to the aid of customers who were ill. Geneva, NY, Letter Carrier Xue Springer had just entered a high-rise apartment building when she heard someone calling out for help. She discovered a man sprawled out in an elevator, struggling to breathe and barely […]
Read More… from Xue Springer, Geneva, NY; Kirk Moyer, Annapolis, MD
Video star. You’ve probably seen the viral video that shows a Postal Service LLV driving through a Santa Rosa, CA, neighborhood destroyed by wildfire last week. The video, which was shot by drone photographer Douglas Thron, appeared on “NBC Nightly News” and dozens of news sites like People.com, which headlined its story, “Deadly California Wildfire […]
An Indiana employee who credits an engagement initiative with saving her life is featured in the latest “Engage” video. Peru Postmaster Connie Cade had her blood pressure screened this year through a Greater Indiana District wellness initiative and was shocked to discover it was dangerously high. Cade saw a doctor, made lifestyle changes and improved […]
Russ Herrick strives to show his employees that he cares about them with his go-to tool of choice: communication. “There’s no secret to communicating — either you do it or you don’t,” says Herrick, plant manager in Trenton, NJ. “I have an open-door policy and enjoy meeting with employees throughout my day. I enjoy direct […]
The Scottish island of Skye is home to many charming attractions, but the seaside village’s most adorable might be a furry “employee” at the Portree Post Office. Jax, the family dog of Postmaster Ray Chandler, regularly greets residents and visitors from behind the office counter. “He’s great to have around,” Chandler told the Dodo, a […]
The Vermont Teddy Bear Co. relies on USPS to deliver its handcrafted teddy bears with the same care it takes to create them. “Getting a Vermont Teddy Bear in the mail is like no other experience,” the company’s president and chief executive officer, Bill Shouldice, says in a new video. “The United States Postal Service […]
Yes! I scored 100 percent on the Sept. 21 “News quiz.” […]
Postal Service employees in New York and California recently responded to emergencies they encountered while delivering mail. In West Seneca, NY, a dog escaped through a gate and attacked Letter Carrier Michael Keicher and a customer who was walking her small dog. Keicher repelled the aggressive canine, and both he and the woman were unhurt, […]
Read More… from Michael Keicher, West Seneca, NY; Karen Hughes, Taft, CA