Friday, February 20, 2026
This NH Post Office delivers for service members
A customer’s campaign has led to 1.9 million cards being mailed since 2017
Employees at the Hollis, NH, Post Office have processed and mailed nearly 2 million greeting cards to military service members since 2017, thanks to the efforts of a local psychologist and her legion of volunteers.
In 2003, Laura Landerman-Garber began a family tradition of writing cards for the men and women deployed abroad.
In subsequent years, she reached out to neighbors and community members to help. By 2017, volunteers had written almost 5,000 cards — each one mailed from the Hollis Post Office.
Then a friend of her daughter was stationed on aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.
“She told me there were 5,000 sailors on board, and I wanted to send a card to each of them,” Landerman-Garber said.
She spread the word through newspapers, social media and television. She also made hundreds of phone calls to veterans groups, churches and other organizations.
More than 17,000 cards arrived at her house, and she made almost daily visits to the Post Office to mail them.
The number of cards increased each year as more people learned of the initiative. A group of veterans built a shed behind her house so she could store the cards prior to mailing them.
On peak volume days, Hollis Postmaster Ashley Cook welcomed her in as early as 5:30 a.m. so employees could process the many boxes of cards.
“In 2024, we received 365,000 cards. That’s 365 boxes of 1,000 cards. And Hollis is not a large Post Office,” Landerman-Garber said. “Boxes spilled into the hallway. The sun hadn’t even come up yet. Snow was falling. It was hard work but it was joyful, and the employees did everything with a smile.”
Rural Carrier Chris Meade, Retail Associates Tony Hanneman and Katarzyna Farnum, and Clerk Scott Caldeira from the nearby Brookline Post Office picked up packages from her house and loaded and unloaded the boxes.
Andrew Niederberger, a USPS senior territory sales representative, showed Landerman-Garber how to use Click-N-Ship to apply prepaid postage and customs forms to each flat-rate box, making them shipping ready when they arrived at the Post Office.
USPS involvement helped transform her grassroots initiative into the nonprofit organization Holiday Cards 4 Our Military Challenge. The year-round effort includes sending Valentine’s Day cards and “Happy Spring” cards to not only current service members but also veterans in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities. To date, 1.9 million cards have been processed and mailed.
“Everyone has been so supportive, and they handle everything with such care and dedication,” Landerman-Garber said. “It’s truly a shared mission that builds community.”
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People
A heartland tradition
Loveland, CO, toasts 80 years of valentine remailing, and bouquets of praise for letter carriers
Loveland, CO — one of several U.S. cities that offer special Valentine’s Day postmarks — celebrated 80 years of its remailing program at a special kickoff event earlier this month.
The remailing program receives hundreds of thousands of letters each year that each get a special cachet and postmark before they are sent to their final destinations.
Employees on hand to apply the special postmark included Jefferey “JD” Kohl Jr., acting Post Office operations manager; Angel Dinges, Boulder, CO, customer service support supervisor; and Kristine West, a Loveland letter carrier.
“This event is very special for Loveland, and I am proud to be here for its 80th year,” Loveland Postmaster Chad Daniel said.
A poetic tribute to a rural carrier
Postal workers’ diligence in the face of a harsh winter has inspired words of praise in print and online.
Judith Livesey, a contract rural carrier in Vermont, was the subject of a poem published in the local Addison County Independent newspaper last month.
“Judy, Our Lady of the Mails, braves hard roads and aggressive elements, the unexpected turn of events that can hazard every mile of carrying,” the ode begins.
It goes on to paint a picture of the imagined communications contained in the letters and packages she carries, and ends with Livesey — “modest, smiling, unhindered by the small stuff” — delivering the mail along with “her good wishes, her respect, and her genuine affection.”
Livesey said she was “extremely pleased that my customers think that much of me,” and added that many of them saw the poem and took the time to tell her they agreed with the sentiment.
Kaella Ryan, a retail associate at the East Middlebury, VT, Post Office, shared that Livesey is “somewhat of a local legend.”
Pittsburgh residents praise letter carriers after storm
A social media page devoted to spotlighting Pittsburgh’s “grit and glory” found those same qualities reflected in letter carriers’ work ethic during a recent storm:
“Huge respect to the USPS workers who carry the weight of the city one step at a time,” PGH Insights Facebook page posted.
“While most people stay inside, the USPS is out here climbing icy hills, hauling heavy mail, and making sure the city keeps moving. No spotlight. No praise. Just grit, consistency, and pride in the work.”
The post prompted comments from current and retired letter carriers and those with relatives employed by USPS.
“I’m a mail carrier in Pittsburgh, PA. I love the challenge!” Letter Carrier Marco Rivera wrote in a comment on the post. “I walk about 12 miles a day on my route, lots of hills.”
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News Quiz
Hail to the holiday
What do you know about the history of Presidents Day?
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end.
1. Why was the Washington’s Birthday holiday changed to Presidents Day?
a) A 1968 law made the holiday fall on a day other than Washington’s actual birthday.
b) Opposing political parties wanted there to be equal representation.
c) Theodore Roosevelt argued that all presidents should be recognized.
d) Washington’s great-granddaughter thought it would be more inclusive.
2. True or false: Rubbing a frostbitten toe is beneficial for recovery.
a) True
b) False
3. What did USPS Office of Inspector General special agents find inside a safe owned by the former Yonkers, NY, mail carrier who was arrested for drug trafficking?
a) $12,000 in cash, a handgun and 300 grams of fentanyl
b) A fake driver’s license, a handgun and 200 grams of cocaine
c) A handgun, plane tickets and $38,000 in cash
d) Several arrow keys, a counterfeit U.S. passport and plane tickets
4. Why are a growing number of people writing letters, according to a recent Associated Press news story?
a) To be more intentional with their time
b) To foster deeper human connections
c) To minimize screen time
d) All of the above
5. For Mark Inglett, the strategic communications manager for the Postal Service’s Central Area, what is the most rewarding aspect of teaching kenpo to kids?
a) Developing a camaraderie with the students
b) Knowing that the kids understand they are to use their skills wisely
c) Seeing a student achieve the rank of black belt
d) Turning a shy youngster into a confident fighting machine
Answers: 1) a. 2) b. 3) a. 4) d. 5) b.
Postal Bulletin highlights how fraudsters use artificial intelligence
Postal Bulletin’s latest edition, published Feb. 19, explores how scammers are using artificial intelligence tools to try to steal from people.
Updates to the organization’s policies, procedures and forms are also included.
Employees can go to usps.com to read and download the latest Postal Bulletin, along with past issues.
Keep contact information up to date
The Postal Service is reminding employees to ensure that the organization has their current address — residential, mailing and email — and contact information, including whom to contact in case of emergency.
This information can be viewed and updated in the Employee Self-Service system, or ESS.
To do this, log onto MyHR and choose “View All” under the “MyHR Apps” section. Choose “ESS for Blue” if using a postal device or “ESS for LiteBlue” if using a personal one. Enter your credentials.
From the “My Services” menu, select “My Contact Information.” There you can update phone numbers, emergency contacts, and residence, U.S. Mail and email addresses.
Currently, more than 10,000 USPS employees have an unverifiable mailing address within the Postal Service’s Address Management System.
View past printouts
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What's included
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This NH Post Office delivers for service members
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People
A heartland tradition
Loveland, CO, toasts 80 years of valentine remailing, and bouquets of praise for letter carriers
-
News Quiz
Hail to the holiday
What do you know about the history of Presidents Day?
-
Brief
Postal Bulletin highlights how fraudsters use artificial intelligence
-
Brief
Keep contact information up to date