Monday, March 18, 2024
USPS unveils Betty Ford stamp
The dedication ceremony will take place April 5 in Rancho Mirage, CA
The Postal Service has revealed the artwork of a commemorative Forever stamp celebrating the life and legacy of former first lady Betty Ford.
The stamp design was unveiled March 6 at the White House by first lady Jill Biden; Postmaster General Louis DeJoy; Susan Ford Bales, Ford’s daughter; and Dr. Joseph Lee, president and chief executive officer of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
The stamp dedication ceremony will be held Friday, April 5 — three days before the 106th anniversary of her birth. The event will take place at Eisenhower Health, a hospital in Rancho Mirage, CA.
“Betty Ford changed the role of first lady,” said DeJoy. “She used the role not just as a platform to represent the nation and advance and support her husband, she used it to speak openly and honestly about issues she cared about, and about personal issues she faced.”
Born Elizabeth Anne Bloomer in 1918, she married Gerald R. Ford in 1948. He was elected that year to the first of 13 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Gerald Ford was appointed vice president in December 1973 after Spiro Agnew resigned.
When the Watergate scandal forced the resignation of President Richard Nixon on Aug. 9, 1974, Ford became the 38th president.
He is the first person to hold both offices without having been elected president or vice president.
Betty Ford was first lady from 1974 to 1977.
The new first lady impressed the American public in interviews by showing humor and frankness about controversial issues facing the country.
“Mom would be humbled and grateful beyond words for the extraordinary tribute of her commemorative stamp,” said Bales. “To Mom, the stamp would be a heartwarming reminder of millions of breast cancer and substance use disorder survivors who have overcome their diseases and individually added to her legacy of candor and courage.”
While the Fords never intended to inhabit the White House, Betty Ford embraced the role, becoming the most politically outspoken first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt and helping mold the position’s modern role.
Throughout her husband’s political career, Ford openly fought for women’s rights, often conflicting with the stances of her husband’s political party. She campaigned tirelessly for the Equal Rights Amendment, which would have mandated constitutional equality for all Americans, regardless of gender.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Ford underwent a mastectomy on Sept. 28, 1974. While medical issues of previous first ladies weren’t always disclosed, she chose to share the story of her treatment for the once-taboo medical condition.
In 1964, Ford had begun taking prescription pain pills for a pinched nerve in her neck, developing a substance use disorder over time. In 1978, after an intervention, she entered the Naval Regional Medical Hospital in Long Beach, CA, for treatment. As with her breast cancer, she publicly acknowledged her substance use disorder, changing its perception and putting a face to the disease.
In 1982, Ford and former ambassador and close family friend Leonard Firestone established the Betty Ford Center for substance dependency. She agreed to lend her name to the center, hoping to destigmatize substance use disorder treatment at a time when it wasn’t spoken about openly — especially by women — and options for treatment were scarce.
Her work helped change the way treatment options and those seeking it are viewed by American society.
Gerald Ford died in 2006 and Betty Ford died in 2011.
The stamp honoring Betty Ford will be issued in panes of 20.
Springing into health
The Nourish wellness challenge begins April 1
Nourish, an app-based wellness challenge open to USPS employees, runs Monday, April 1, through Sunday, May 12.
Nourish will encourage participants to record healthy eating, sleeping, exercise and mindfulness habits over six weeks. Each positive change recorded contributes to the growth of a virtual plant — a vegetable, fruit or grain from around the world.
When participants grow at least five plants a week, they unlock healthy recipes using the plants they have grown.
The goal is to grow 30 plants over the six-week period.
Healthy habits are recorded in the Nourish app, which is available for both iOS and Android smartphones.
The USPS Benefits and Wellness team and Kaiser Permanente, a provider of health plans for federal employees, have partnered to offer the challenge.
Participation is voluntary and must be off the clock.
Participants are required to register on the challenge website. Registration opens Monday, March 18.
Employees with questions can email the Benefits and Wellness team.
Heroes
The grass isn’t always greener
An employee saw his neighbor take a tumble while mowing a lawn
Retail Associate Gregory Purnell Jr. was about to leave home to go to work at the Hutto, TX, Post Office when he spotted a neighbor who needed help.
The 79-year-old man was cutting his grass when he tripped over the lawn mower’s power cord, fell and hit his head.
Purnell rushed to check on the man, who was bleeding profusely.
The Postal Service employee called 911 and waited with his neighbor until emergency responders arrived.
Paramedics took the man to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Employees featured in “Heroes” receive letters of commendation through the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program. The nomination form is available on Blue.
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered March 10-16
Stories about the Underground Railroad and St. Patrick’s Day were in the mix
Last week, Link brought you coverage of the dedication ceremony for the Underground Railroad stamps.
The event was held March 9 in Church Creek, MD, at a visitor center named for Harriet Tubman, a conductor for the Underground Railroad and one of the 10 people featured on the stamps.
“For many enslaved African Americans, the Underground Railroad was their only hope to escape the brutality of slavery,” said Ronald A. Stroman, a member of the USPS Board of Governors. “It demonstrated the power of collective action and solidarity in achieving social change, even when the odds seemed insurmountable.”
We also cast a spotlight on Church Creek, a once-bustling center of commerce where Tubman first became privy to the communication network that clued her in to the routes and safe houses that eventually became known as the Underground Railroad.
Elsewhere, we previewed this year’s USPS career conferences and told you about a series of videos on the new Postal Service Health Benefits Program, and we got into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day by looking back at five stamps that honored Americans of Irish descent.
Additionally, Link covered the recent White House ceremony where USPS unveiled artwork for a new stamp honoring Betty Ford.
Participants included Postmaster General Louis DeJoy; Jill Biden, the first lady; and Susan Ford Bales, Ford’s daughter.
Finally, we went “On the Job” with Lauren Ireland, a Long Beach, CA, postal inspector, and “Off the Clock” with John Hyatt, a Corporate Communications writer and editor who helps organize the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in San Diego.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s really rewarding to see people enjoying and connecting with their heritage — or if they’re not Irish, enjoying being Irish for the day,” Hyatt said.
March 24, 2024
Datebook
Virtual job fair
The Postal Service will offer a virtual job fair for supervisory positions on Sunday, March 24.
Participants will hear from operational leaders and receive an overview of the knowledge and skills needed to be a competitive applicant.
Individual sessions will provide attendees with information on how to apply for vacancies in eCareer, respond and demonstrate qualifications of the position, prepare for the interview, network effectively and take charge of their personal development.
Sign language interpreters and closed captioning will be available, and after the fair, participants will be able to access a recording of it and the slides shown.
The fair starts at 1 p.m. Eastern and is open to both career and noncareer employees.
To participate, employees must complete an online registration form on MyHR, part of LiteBlue.
In addition to the March 24 session, fairs will be held Sunday, May 19; Sunday, July 14; and Sunday, Sept. 15.
All participants must be current Postal Service employees and attend while off the clock. Participation is voluntary.
March 25, 2024
Datebook
‘Balancing Act: Thriving With Diabetes’
Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar providing diabetics with the knowledge and inspiration they need to lead a healthier, more vibrant life.
The session, “Balancing Act: Thriving With Diabetes,” will be held Monday, March 25, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern.
Representatives from GEHA, a provider of health plans for federal employees, will lead the discussion.
Participants must register before the event on the webinar website.
Participation is voluntary. Nonexempt employees must be off the clock or on authorized breaks.
Employees with questions can email the Benefits and Wellness team.
Walsh nominated for USPS Board of Governors seat
President Joe Biden has nominated Martin J. Walsh, a Massachusetts resident, to be a member of the USPS Board of Governors.
Walsh previously served as U.S. labor secretary.
The nomination will be for the remainder of a seven-year term expiring Dec. 8, 2029.
The U.S. Senate must confirm nominees before they join the board.
The governors are the principal officers of the Postal Service. The board is similar to a board of directors, conducting long-range planning and setting strategic policies, among other duties.
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What's included
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USPS unveils Betty Ford stamp
The dedication ceremony will take place April 5 in Rancho Mirage, CA
-
Springing into health
The Nourish wellness challenge begins April 1
-
Heroes
The grass isn’t always greener
An employee saw his neighbor take a tumble while mowing a lawn
-
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered March 10-16
Stories about the Underground Railroad and St. Patrick’s Day were in the mix
-
March24Datebook
Virtual job fair
-
March25Datebook
‘Balancing Act: Thriving With Diabetes’
-
Brief
Walsh nominated for USPS Board of Governors seat