Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus — and the Postal Service can help you prove it when Santa replies to your child’s letter,  complete with a North Pole postmark.
Here are the steps for your child to get a letter back from Santa:

1.    Have your child write a letter to Santa and place it in an envelope addressed to: Santa Claus, North Pole.

2.     Later, when alone, open the envelope and write a personalized response.

3.      Insert the response letter into an envelope and address it to the child.

4.     Add the return address: SANTA, NORTH POLE, to the envelope.

5.     Ensure the envelope is affixed with a First-Class Mail stamp, such as a recently issued Charlie Brown Christmas stamp.

6.     Place the complete envelope into a larger envelope — preferably a Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope — with appropriate postage, and address it to:

North Pole Postmark
Postmaster
4141 Postmark Drive
Anchorage, AK 99530-9998

“Letters from Santa” must be received by the Anchorage, AK postmaster no later than Dec. 15. Santa’s helpers at the Postal Service, will take care of the rest.

Be sure to share the experience on social media using #LettersFromSanta.

Tips

·         To save paper, write on the back of your child’s letter. If you keep them together, your child will also be able to recall what he or she wrote.

·         When responding as Santa, make the response as personal as possible by highlighting your child’s accomplishments over the past year. For example, helping around the house, receiving good grades in a particular subject at school or participating in community service activities.

·         This is a great activity for Thanksgiving that the whole family can enjoy, including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other caregivers.

The Letters from Santa program adds to the excitement of Christmas and is ideal for interesting youngsters in letter writing, stamps and penmanship. 

It's a Blizzard in South Florida!

Post Offices in South Florida and across the nation are experiencing a blizzard of new Forever stamps.
It's the introduction of the Geometric Snowflakes Forever stamps. These four commemorative Forever stamps capture the art and the science of the snowflake and preserve it forever. The bright, cheerful stamps bring a whimsical splash to holiday cards, thank-you notes, invitations, greeting cards and any mailing that calls for a touch of warmth during the coldest months of the year.
The law of physics makes each snowflake unique and each of the four stamps depicts a different snowflake. When it snows, millions of ice crystals form unique patterns that are as stunning in their complexity as they are fleeting. Stamp designers were inspired by the different shapes. Each snowflake is drawn in one of four colors: purple, pink, green or blue. Applying light and dark shades of color enhanced the intricate geometry of each flake and added a feeling of playfulness to the stamp art.
Forever stamps are always be equal to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price. The stamps were designed by Antonio Alcalá and Leslie Badani of Alexandria, VA.

Recommended Shipping to Military

Ensuring those serving in the nation’s armed forces and diplomatic service receive their presents, care packages and cards in time for the holidays is a priority for the U.S. Postal Service and for friends and family members of military and diplomatic personnel serving around the world.
To send packages to loved ones serving in the military abroad, the Postal Service offers a discount on its largest Priority Mail Flat Rate Box at $13.80 (online) and $15.90 (retail). The price includes a $2 per box discount for mail sent to APO/FPO/DPO (Air/Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office/Diplomatic Post Office) destinations worldwide.
Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes are available at no cost at local Post Offices and online at shop.usps.com. Postage, labels and customs forms can be printed online anytime using Click-N-Ship at https://cns.usps.com/go.
To ensure timely delivery of holiday wishes by Dec. 25, the Postal Service recommends that cards and packages be sent to military APO/FPO/DPO addresses overseas no later than the mailing dates listed below.

Military Mail Addressed	Priority Mail Express Military Service (PMEMS)1	First-Class Mail Letters and Cards	Priority Mail	Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL)2	Space Available
To and From					Mail (SAM)3
APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 090-092	17-Dec	10-Dec	10-Dec	3-Dec	25-Nov
APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIP   093	N/A	3-Dec	3-Dec	3-Dec	25-Nov
APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 094-098	17-Dec	10-Dec	10-Dec	3-Dec	25-Nov
APO/FPO/DPO AA ZIP   340	17-Dec	10-Dec	10-Dec	3-Dec	25-Nov

1 PMEMS is available to selected military/diplomatic Post Offices. Check with your local Post Office to determine if this service is available to an APO/FPO/DPO address.
2 PAL is a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. PAL is available for Standard Post items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight or 60 inches in length and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface price for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.
3 SAM parcels are paid at Standard Post prices with maximum weight and size limits of 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined. SAM parcels are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis.
Complete mailing and shipping deadlines for domestic and international services, as well as additional tips and guidelines, can be found here .
Use the Military Care Kit to Send Presents and Care Packages
The Postal Service has created a free Military Care Kit based on the items most frequently requested by military families. The kit contains:

• Two Priority Mail APO/FPO/DPO flat rate boxes.
• Two Priority Mail Medium flat rate boxes.
• Priority Mail tape.
• Priority Mail address labels.
• Appropriate customs forms.

To order the kit, call 800-610-8734. Guidelines for packing, addressing and shipping items to U.S. troops can be found at usps.com/ship/apo-fpo-dpo.htm. To order flat-rate boxes featuring the “America Supports You” logo, go to store.usps.com.
Addressing the Package

• Write out the service member’s full name in the address.
• Include the unit and APO/FPO/DPO address with the 9-digit ZIP Code (if one is assigned). For example:

Army/Air Post Office (APO)

PFC JOHN DOE
PSC 3 BOX 4120
APO AE 09021

Fleet Post Office (FPO)

SEAMAN JOSEPH SMITH
UNIT 100100 BOX 4120
FPO AP 96691

Diplomatic Post Office (DPO)

JOHN ADAMS
UNIT 8400 BOX 0000
DPO AE 09498-0048           

1. Do not write the country name where the service member is stationed in the address.
2. Include a return address.
3. Include the service member’s name and address as well as the sender’s name and address on an index card inside the package in case the shipping label gets damaged in transit.

Domestic mailing deadlines are as follows: 

Standard Post	First-Class Mail	Priority Mail	Priority Mail Express
Dec. 15	Dec. 19	Dec. 21	Dec. 23

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Mailbox Experience: Take a Picture with Charlie Brown and Friends

The Postal Service invites America to share in a series of holiday-themed augmented reality (AR) experiences that bring the nation’s 160,000 blue Post Office collection boxes to life via smartphones. The invitation is part of a mailing that provides information on exciting postal products, services and key mailing dates to make this the most convenient holiday mailing season ever.

“Our Charlie Brown Christmas Forever stamps allow you to decorate your holiday mailings with Peanuts characters,” said U.S. Postal Service Consumer Advocate John Budzynski. “Thanks to our new AR app, you can take a photo with the Peanuts characters and share it on social media. Our mailing to the nation’s households is one part of our holiday advertising campaign that ranges from direct mail to television and print advertisements, to social media and digital promotion.”

The Peanuts photo opportunity debuts Nov. 23 through Nov. 25 and appears again in mid-December as part of the Postal Service’s rotating “Mailbox Miracle” experiences that runs until Dec. 28. Also, the 50th anniversary of the “Charlie Brown Christmas” TV special, from which the stamps are based, airs Mon., Nov. 30 at 9 p.m. on ABC. Prior to that, at 8 p.m., a one-hour retrospective special featuring numerous music performers airs.

Recommended holiday mail-by-dates can be found at this link.

The ‘Mailbox Miracle’ Experiences

Download the Postal Service’s AR app at Google Play or iTunes App Store. Stand next to one of nearly 160,000 blue mail collection boxes between Nov. 23 and Nov. 25, and again Dec.14 through Dec. 17, to see Charlie Brown characters surround Postal Service blue collection boxes to take a photo with the Peanuts gang to save on your camera phone or share on social media. As the nation counts down to the holidays, the Postal Service will be adding new experiences every few days.

Customers accessing usps.com can find blue collection boxes near their current location by visiting this link and clicking the “Post Offices and Approved Postal Providers” icon. Scroll down to collection boxes and then enter a ZIP Code or address.

West Palm Beach Manager, Customer Service Operations Joe Molfetto shares his "Mailbox Miracle" seasonal AR app experience.  

Starting Nov. 23 through Dec. 28 these exciting “Mailbox Miracle” seasonal AR app experiences and holiday mailing tips will decorate your screens with nostalgic peppermints; toy airplanes circulating Christmas trees surrounded by boxes; customizable digital mailboxes to “TAKE A PIC AND SHARE” on social media; blinking holiday lights; wrapping paper; bows; dancing elves; and much more while sharing important information. Following are just a handful of the upcoming experiences:

·         Gingerbread Box — A Gingerbread box grows from the edges of the collection box followed by peppermints, gumdrops and more decorations. The experience also allows you to order stamps.

·         Tree Burst — Doors fly open and a Christmas tree springs out of the box. A toy airplane circles the tree, decorations fly onto it and a bunch of boxes slide under it. Click tap to order free boxes.

·         Wrap it up — Wrapping paper covers the collection box and reminds you that the Postal Service delivers in select locations on Christmas Day. Click tap to schedule a pickup.

·         Holiday Countdown — About a week prior to Christmas a live countdown reminds you that there’s only a short time left to ship packages. An icon in the experience lets you schedule a pickup.

·         Yule Log — A mantle drops on the mailbox and a fire lights inside the fireplace. Then a puppy slides in front dressed in a Santa costume.

Delivering for the Holidays

The Postal Service expects to deliver more than 15.5 billion cards, letters, flats, and packages during the 2015 holiday season. In addition, it is projecting that approximately 600 million packages will be delivered between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve — an increase of 10.5 percent over last year’s volume. 

In time for the holidays, the Postal Service will offer real-time delivery notifications – meaning customers who sign up for alerts at myusps.com will receive notification within a few minutes of the delivery scan for select packages.

A 'Boo-ti-ful' Boca Raton Experience

Pictured from left, Boca Rio Branch Manager, Customer Services Juan Febres; Boca Raton Stamp and Coin Club President Max Cohen; Boca Raton Postmaster Carlos Rodon; and Boca Raton Postmaster’s Administrative Assistant Jacqueline San Lucas.

On Oct. 17, employees were in the spirit at the Boca Rio Branch. Why? Because the Boca Raton Stamp Club and the U.S. Postal Service resurrected an annual Halloween tradition. Customers were invited to purchase envelopes with a Halloween pictorial postmark and enjoy some treats at Happy Halloween Station in the lobby.

Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula

“Enter freely and of your own free will!” said Boca Raton, FL, Postmaster Carlos Rodon in his best Bela Lugosi impersonation of Count Dracula.

At Happy Halloween Station, The Count was joined by his Administrative Assistant, Jacqueline San Lucas, Boca Rio Branch Manager, Customer Services Juan Febres; and Boca Raton Stamp and Coin Club President Max Cohen. The quartet served cupcakes and refreshments to customers. But no witches brew allowed on the premises.

Every year, customers look forward to visiting Halloween Station --- all agreeing that it's “a ‘boo-ti-ful’ experience.”

Sharing a Common Heritage

Karin Nolf and Karen Deshotels both work for the Postal Service and also share a common heritage. Nolf is an Address Management Systems Technician at the West Palm Beach Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) and Deshotels is an Information Systems Specialist at the South Florida District Office. Both are Daughters of the American Revolution.

DAR members come from a variety of backgrounds and interests, but all share a common bond of having an ancestor who helped contribute to securing the independence of the United States of America. Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible to join.  Daughters are vibrant, active women who are passionate about community service, preserving history, educating children, as well as honoring and supporting those who serve our nation.

This chapter is named in remembrance of an individual who has played an important role in Florida. The development of Palm Beach County, and South Florida in general, was sparked by the investment in the local railroad system by Henry Morrison Flagler. An early partner of Standard Oil with John D. Rockefeller, Flagler left the company in the late 19th century, turning his attention to the creation of a continuous railway system down the east coast of Florida, stretching from Jacksonville to Key West. This railway was instrumental to the rapid growth of Palm Beach County in the 20th century.

The 8th annual city of West Palm Beach Veterans Day Parade took place on November 8.  Held on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach, the parade is a festive occasion that honors and celebrates veterans past and present. Karin Nolf (first row, second from right) and Karen Deshotels (first row, right) participated with their fellow daughters --- other members of the Henry Morrison Flagler Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Karin Nolf has been selected by her peers to be the chairperson for the chapter's participation in the 2016 veterans parade. 

DAR members Karin Nolf (left) and Karen Deshotels (right) strike a pose before lunch.

Nolf invited new DAR member Deshotels to her first luncheon and meeting held at the Chesterfield Hotel in Palm Beach. Nolf humored the ladies with an account of the veterans parade in West Palm Beach that the chapter participated in for the first time. Three distinguished guests were on hand, two ladies were World War II veterans, and one other was a Vietnam veteran. The chapter also participated in the 2nd Annual Veterans Day parade in Delray Beach on November 11.  

Spanish Holiday TV Ad Now Airing

The Postal Service’s fourth TV commercial of the holiday season recently debuted.
The ad, entitled “Gluten Free,” will air on Spanish-language TV channels throughout November and December.

Like the other ads in the “Count on USPS” series, the new commercial highlights real-time delivery notifications, a service that alerts customers when their packages arrive.
The ad can be viewed on the Postal Service’s YouTube channel and will soon be posted alongside the other commercials on Blue.

Open Season Tool Can Help

There’s an online tool available to help Postal Service employees assess health care plans during open season, which is now underway.
The Office of Personnel Management’s plan comparison tool allows users to:

• View a side-by-side comparison of as many as four plans at once.
• Search plans by name and plan code. To begin, first search by ZIP Code to see the plans available in your area and any applicable nationwide plans.
• See detailed information about plans, including rates, customer satisfaction, premium rates and benefits.
• Conduct advanced searches for in-depth information about the services covered by each plan.

A link to the tool is available the LiteBlue open season site, along with brochures, references, instructions and more.
Open season — the annual period when employees can make changes to their health, dental and vision coverage or choose a new plan — will conclude Dec. 14.

Special Holiday Delivery

Every household in the United States will soon know the Postal Service is ready to deliver this holiday season.
USPS is sending a variety of direct mailings to every residential address to let customers know they can count on the Postal Service during the holidays.
Each mailer offers information on USPS products, services and key mailing dates. Details on holiday stamps, cards and Priority Mail packaging are included.
Additionally, the mailers provide instructions on using the Postal Service’s augmented reality (AR) smartphone application.
When users with the app point their phones at blue collection boxes, they can activate a range of experiences, including Charlie Brown-themed videos, animation and photos.
The mailers and AR are part of the Postal Service’s digital holiday campaign, which also includes TV commercials and websites.

Good Grief! It's Charlie Brown!

The West Palm Beach Post Office, in conjunction with the Palm Beach Children’s Hospital at St. Mary’s Medical Center, invite you to a free holiday celebration featuring a Charlie Brown Christmas Forever stamp dedication. On Friday, November 20, the celebration will begin at 10 a.m. at the hospital at 901 45^th Street, West Palm Beach, FL. This is an off-the-clock activity for postal employees.

During the celebration, postal and hospital officials, along with the public, will celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the 1965 Holiday TV classic “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Special guests will include Palm Beach Mayor Shelley Vana, West Palm Beach Postmaster Richard Fermo, Reverend Lena Bates, Literacy Coalition members, the Bright Future Academy’s Children’s Choir and the Franklin Academy Charter School, Palm Beach Gardens Campus Band.

The stamp images include: Charlie Brown holding the sapling that eventually becomes his Christmas tree; Charlie Brown and Pigpen with a snowman; Snoopy and children ice skating; the cast of the program gathered around the Christmas tree; Linus kneeling by the sparsely decorated Christmas tree; Charlie Brown checking his mailbox for a Christmas card; Charlie Brown and Linus leaning on a snowy brick wall; Charlie Brown and Linus standing by the Christmas tree; a frustrated Charlie Brown standing in front of Snoopy’s doghouse; and, Charlie Brown decorating the tree in front of the prize-winning lights display on Snoopy’s doghouse. Art director Antonio Alcalá of Alexandria, VA, designed the stamps. Charlie Brown Christmas Forever stamps always will be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price.

WPB MO Passport Fair is Today!

Planning a vacation? Make the West Palm Beach Main Office the first stop of your journey.

West Palm Beach Postmaster Richard Fermo invites employees to the Passport Fair at the West Palm Beach Main Office, 3200 Summit Blvd, West Palm Beach, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.on Saturday, November 14. No appointment is required, but employees are reminded this is an off-the-clock activity.

How to Prepare for the Passport Application Process:

• A completed application (form is available at usps.com/passport; but do not sign it until the passport clerk instructs you to do so). Remember that everyone, including newborn infants, is required to obtain a passport in his or her own name. For children under age 16, the consent of both parents/ guardians is required. 
• Proof of identity (a valid permanent state driver’s license, a government ID or military ID, previous passport, Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization Certificate)
• Proof of U.S. citizenship (previous passport, original or certified birth certificate issued from the state with a raised, embossed, impressed, or multi-colored seal and the registrar’s  signature and date of certificate filing)
• Two official passport photos (available at the Passport Fair for $15)
• Social Security Number

The U.S. Department of State fees vary according to age and type. The fee(s) must be made by money order, check, bank draft, or cashier’s check made payable to the U.S. Department of State; debit and credit card payment is not available. The Passport Book fee for under age 16 is $80; for age 16 and older is $110. The Passport Card fee for under age 16 is $15, and for age 16 and older is $30. In addition, all acceptance agencies, including the Postal Service, charge a processing fee of $25 per application. A debit or credit card may be used in addition to cash, money order, or check made payable to the Postal Service.

Melrose Station Career Milestones

Pictured from left: Melrose Station A/Manager, Customer Services Hildegard Olsson, Letter Carriers Ulrick Prezeau, Susan Navalo, Kathryn Conner, John Startmire, Donald Johnson, and Rufus Horne.  Melrose Station is in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Melrose Station A/Manager, Customer Services Hildegard Olsson recognized Letter Carriers Kathryn Conner, Rufus Horne, Donald Johnson, Susan Navalo, Ulrick Prezeau, and John Startmire with Service Awards and pins, commemorating 25 years.

Southside Career Milestones

Southside Station A/Manager, Customer Services Quanda Monestime recognized Letter Carriers Diane Belanger, Sandra Darling-Holt, Gloria Jackson, Mary Osburn, William Schaedel, Dolores Stevens, and Vallesteen “Tina” Wilder with a Service Award and pin for having reached their 25-year career milestones. 

“It is a pleasure to recognize these Fort Lauderdale employees for their dedication to the Postal Service,” said Monestime. 

        

Fort Lauderdale, FL, letter carriers are recognized for their 25-year career milestones. Southside Station  letter carriers who received a Service Award and pin are pictured from left: Sandra Darling-Holt, Diane Belanger, Dolores Stevens, Gloria Jackson and William Schaedel.

       

Southside Station Letter Carriers Vallesteen “Tina” Wilder (left) and Mary Osburn (right) each received a Service Award and pin commemorating their 25-year career milestones.

Photos: Kelly Worthman

Port St. Lucie is in the Pink

Front: Letter Carrier Margo Jelneck and Retail Associate Chavon Hazelton
Front Row from left: Rural Carrier Ron Gallardo; Rural Carrier Assistant Michelle Spearman; A/Supervisor, Customer Services Patty White; and Rural Carriers Debbie Parsons, Jean Dyer, and Bill Yates. Second Row, from left: Letter Carriers Cindy Scott, Steve Heck and Lynn Fair; Rural Carrier Jane Bedsole; and Letter Carriers Janet O'Connor, Les Rosenfeld, and Al Crosby. Back Row, from left: Letter Carriers Gide Lezeau and Andrew Campbell.

Congratulations to the Port St. Lucie Team that sold the most Breast Cancer Research Semipostal Stamps in the district in October. Walk-in revenue: $8,344.20!  For every sheet sold, a facsimile of the Breast Cancer Research Semipostal Stamp was posted on the retail counter.

Manager, Post Office Operations Robert Weiser; Postmaster Louis Klegin; and Marketing Manager Juan Nadal and his team wore pink aprons and served breakfast to all employees.

Weston Branch Has a Green Thumb

           
        Weston, FL, Letter Carrier Mike Felling saves a rare Copernicia Baileyana Palm.

In November 1998, the construction of the Weston, FL, Post Office was completed. The Post Office was open for business, but the lanscaping lacked trees. Letter Carrier Mike Felling wanted to beautify the grounds with a tropical look, and in 2002, received permission to plant a Copernicia Baileyana Palm.

“As a member of the South Florida Palm Society, I had a $25 bid on this baby palm at a rare palm auction at the Broward College Horticulture Center two years earlier,”said Felling.

Fast forward to 2015. A building was constructed to handle the extra equipment and mail volume for the new zone that was transferring to the Weston, FL, Post Office.  Before this construction took place, it would be necessary to relocate the Baileyana, which was on the site of the future building. 

The survival rate of this palm after transplant is “zero to slim,” according to Felling. Then Fort Lauderdale Officer In Charge (OIC) David Guiney wanted to engage Weston, FL, employees and approached Manager, Customer Services Duane Hunt about having employees vote on a new location for the palm.

The employees chose a location, and the transplant took place in July 2015.

“Within one month all the leaves were dying as the foliage turned brown,” Felling said. “We kept watering it anyway, and maintained specific nutrition mineral requirements on schedule.” 

Just as employees were about to pronounce the palm dead, new green shoots began to emerge in mid- September.  At seven feet tall, and now valued at $1,400, this palm survived the shock of the transplant.  This species of palm will grow to fifty feet tall.

“Being so rare in South Florida, the only place I have seen them is at Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Miami where they receive protection and care,” said Felling.

“The survival of this palm is due to the engagement of our emlpoyees, including Manager, Customer Services Duane Hunt, who initiated the action and oversaw the project to the end,” said Guiney.

WPB Welcomes Career Employees

West Palm Beach, FL, Postmaster Richard Fermo and Manager, Customer Service Operations (MCSO) Joe Molfetto congratulate new career employees during Career Conversion Benefit Training at the West Palm Beach Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC). Both Fermo and Molfetto shared their postal careers and encouraged employees to take advantage of every opportunity to advance in the organization. New career employees include Letter Carriers David Baten, Junior Beauvais, Anthony Bennett, Wendy Brown, Dawn El Ashmawy, Colin Gooden, Rufus Graham II, Andra Green, Randall Green, Ashley Homa, Steven Kmitch, Lanard Skipper, Lootie Slater, Charles Spence, Diana Warfield, and Leon Williams; Retail Associates Stedman Hamilton and Kevin Weaver; Rural Carriers Samir Lopez, Syvel Ramos, and Maria Teeple; and Tractor Trailer Operator Robert Cornwall.

Shenandoah Retail Associate Earns 30-Year Service Award and Pin

Retail Associate Emilean Harrell (above) of Miami’s Shenandoah Finance Unit, displays her Service Award and pin commemorating her 30-year career milestone. A/Manager, Customer Services Rose Thomas was not available for a photo.

Ft Lauderdale MOCA, District Vets

District Manager Jeff Taylor (far right) thanks Fort Lauderdale Main Office and District Office veterans for their military and postal service during a Veterans Day recognition ceremony.

Fort Lauderdale Officer In Charge David Guiney (far right) shares that his son is serving in the U.S. Navy. He also thanked veterans for their service and sacrifice to preserve our freedom.

Our Greenacres Veterans

From left. Manager, Customer Services Floyd Pierce; Letter Carrier Al Simpson; A/Supervisor, Customer Services Alisha Watkins; Letter Carriers Tom Maxwell, Randy Booth, and George Sopko; Rural Carrier Carl Schacter; Clerks Don Stiles and Steve Rodriguez; Letter Carrier Dennis Briggs; Rural Carriers Tom Brady and Keith French; and Letter Carrier Phil Deguzman. Not pictured: Clerks Larry Black and Phil Race; Custodian Julie Moore; Rural Carrier Francisco Rodriguez; and Rural Carrier Vince Svitak.

Saluting Pembroke Pines Veterans

From left: Letter Carriers Alexander Quinones, Peter Tiefenbach, Bill Oliveras, Alfredo Bonilla, and Juan Ocampo are recognized for their military service during a Veterans Day celebration at the Pembroke Pines Branch. Hollywood Officer In Charge (OIC) Phyllis Reed thanked veterans for their military and postal service. Photo: Madelyn Rodriguez-Paris

Miami Springs Recognizes Employees

Manager, Customer Services Ozzie Taboada and Supervisor, Customer Services Lawrence Rogers  recognize Miami Springs Finance Unit employees for achieving career milestones and providing excellent service.

Supervisor, Customer Services Lawrence Rogers (left) and Manager, Customer Services Ozzie Taboada. (right) present Beoyong Im (center) with his Service Award and pin, as well as an Excellence Certificate for overall outstanding performance in FY15.

Miami Springs Finance Unit Manager, Customer Services Ozzie Taboada (right) presents Retail Associate Arcadio Carballosa (left) with a Service Award and pin a commemorating 35-year career milestone. 

Photos: Mirtha Uriarte

Thanking Our Veterans

It is so easy for us to get caught up in our daily lives with all our interests and busy schedules that we can take things for granted. When we’re healthy, we may take our good health for granted. Relationships that are smooth and fulfilling can be taken for granted. And because we enjoy freedom in this country, we can take that for granted, too. But there has been a lot of sacrifice and bloodshed to earn and keep the freedoms we too often undervalue. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who have fought and continue doing so to secure our way of life.

Today let us honor those who have put on the military uniform to serve our great Nation. These individuals consistently have defended our ideals across the globe and continue to inspire those who defend America today. The uniforms they wear, and the flag they carry, are held in high esteem. And that is their finest tribute: Around the world, to people who struggle and suffer, the sight of an American in uniform has meant hope and relief.

Did you know ... 

• Veterans make up 18 percent of the postal workforce. 
• Total number of military veterans: 112,800 --- includes more than 10,000 non-career employees.
• USPS is second only to the U.S. Department of Defense in the number of veterans in the workforce.
• Number/percentage of the female workforce who are veterans: Just over 12,000 or 4.4%.
• Other national statistics:

      # Postmasters: more than 2,000

   # Letter Carriers: more than 37,000

   # Rural Carriers: more than 5,000

   # Mail Handlers: approximately 1,000

   # APWU Clerks: 38,000

   # Non-bargaining: approximately 10,500 (includes the 2,000 Postmasters from above)

We have 2,000 veterans in the South Florida Postal Family. 

District Career Conference Wrap Up

Boca Raton, FL, may be in the heart of Florida’s Atlantic Ocean Coast, but it’s in the minds of 500 employees who attended the South Florida District Career Conference. Bargaining and non-bargaining employees invested in their future and registered for a fun-filled, action-packed weekend of networking and educational opportunities at the Boca Raton Renaissance Hotel.

Employees picked up their workshop schedules in an outdoor hallway lined with tables of Subject Matter Experts representing the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Workshops included topics such as career path development, financial planning, interview skills, and professional writing. Employees shared their professional accomplishments and career aspirations with a panel of postal executives, featuring Vice President, Area Operations, Southern Area Jo Ann Feindt. Many Southern Area executives, including District Managers, shared their experiences and offered advice on upward mobility.

“I learned a lot from the workshops and appreciated the opportunity to share my career aspirations with senior leadership,” said Tequesta, FL, Retail Associate Derek Arron. “The conference was an excellent investment.”

   

More than 500 employees registered for the Career Conference in Boca Raton, FL. South Florida District Manager Jeffery Taylor (standing) looks into the audience to invite a select number of conference participants to join him on stage and talk about their career aspirations.

Several departments, including Sales, set up informational tables to promote their functional area at the Career Conference. Pictured back row, from left: Field Sales Representative Edwin Vivas, Senior Shipping Sales Executive Sharon Squadrito and Manager, Sales Jose Borrero. The sales trio spoke with many employees who were interested in becoming a Field Sales Representative.

  

At the Career Conference, South Florida District Manager Jeffery Taylor (far left) invites cluster members to introduce themselves and talk about their functional area. Pictured from left: Taylor; Fort Lauderdale, FL, Officer In Charge (OIC) David Guiney; Manager, Post Office Operations Pat Cowley; Manager, Operations Programs Support Janice Atherly; Manager, Finance Olivia Mulloy; Manager, Human Resources Jann Miller; Hollywood, FL, Officer In Charge (OIC) Phyllis Reed; Miami, FL, Postmaster Enrique Suarez; and Senior Plant Manager Juan Gonzalez.

The Marketing Department display table invited career conference attendees to utilize a QR Code to answer the question “What are you doing to change your career path?”

Photos: Curlita Rogers-Saunders