Friday, January 17, 2025
Love is in the air — and on a stamp
This year’s release arrives Jan. 17
The Postal Service will release its latest Love stamp on Friday, Jan. 17.
Love (2025) features an untitled 1985 drawing by artist and activist Keith Haring (1958-1990) that includes two moving figures reaching toward a red heart. It was a theme Haring used throughout his career, making several variations, each in his signature style.
Centered on the heart with motion lines radiating toward two moving figures, Haring’s drawing suggests the figures are dancing. The image allows the viewer to project their own meaning of love in the context of their choosing.
“The nonspecificity of the figures allows a variety of people to see themselves in this stamp,” said Anthony Alcalá, an art director for USPS who selected Haring’s work for the stamp design. “Partners getting married, celebrating an anniversary, siblings sending each other a heartfelt greeting, or even party planners setting a positive tone for their event.”
Born in Kutztown, PA, Haring moved to New York City at age 19 to study art at the School of Visual Arts. He soon found himself immersed in the alternative art scene of the 1980s. His drawings and murals quickly achieved popular and critical acclaim around the world.
Love (2025) is part of a series that the Postal Service began in 1973. The Forever stamp will be available in panes of 20 at Post Offices and usps.com.
People
Community spirit
USPS employees prepare care packages, open a new office and receive a local honor
Employees in the Postal Service’s Florida 1 District helped make the holiday brighter for U.S. military members serving overseas.
The employees helped accept and process more than 100 care packages prepared through Treat-A-Troop, a program operated by the Florida Blue health insurance organization and VetNet, a nonprofit that serves veterans.
Volunteers prepared the packages, which contained snacks, games and toiletries.
“It was a well-engineered assembly line all for the purpose of spreading holiday cheer to our brave men and women who could not be home for the holidays,” said Sherwin Salla, a Florida 1 District customer relations coordinator who assisted with the effort.
Grand opening
Speaking of the Sunshine State: A new Post Office has opened in Royal Palm Beach, which is part of the Postal Service’s Florida 3 District.
The new office offers a full range of postal services.
“It’s a win-win for the Postal Service and for the community here at large,” said West Palm Beach, FL, Postmaster Orlando de la Osa, who oversees the new office.
Honoring postal employees
The Poplarville, MS, Post Office was recently named business of the month by the local chamber of commerce in the city of about 2,800 near the state’s southwest corner.
The building that previously housed the Poplarville Post Office was condemned in 2022, causing employees to temporarily work out of a mobile retail unit. A new office is expected to open this year.
“We wanted to honor our local postal workers for everything that they’ve endured for us over the last couple of years,” said Brooke Wiltshire, a chamber of commerce vice president.
“People” appears regularly in Link. Got news to share? Email us.
News Quiz
Bank on it
Do you know how much an employee can contribute to the TSP in 2025?
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end.
1. What is the maximum amount of money that a Postal Service employee can contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan in 2025?
a) $22,500
b) $23,000
c) $23,500
d) $24,000
2. True or false: During the extended suspension period for all new Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program applications, current enrollees cannot increase their coverage.
a) True
b) False
3. What did Ashley Poling of the Postal Regulatory Commission purchase when she became the first customer to visit the newly reopened Temple Heights Post Office in Washington, DC?
a) A PO Box for six months
b) A pane of holiday stamps
c) A money order for $52.50
d) Two birthday cards
4. What is the submission deadline for USPS Executive and Administrative Schedule employees to apply for virtual leadership development courses?
a) Friday, Jan. 24
b) Friday, Jan. 31
c) Friday, Feb. 7
d) Friday, Feb. 14
5. The first of four virtual fairs for supervisory jobs in 2025 will be held at what date and time?
a) Sunday, Feb. 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. Eastern
b) Sunday, Feb. 16, from 4 to 6 p.m. Eastern
c) Monday, March 3, from 7 to 9 p.m. Eastern
d) Sunday, April 6, from 1 to 3 p.m. Eastern
Answers: 1) c. 2) a. 3) b. 4) b. 5) a.