Wrapping, Shipping, Making Spirits Bright

With nearly 16 billion cards, letters and packages expected to be delivered this holiday season, the Postal Service has some tips to help gifts get to their destination swiftly and safely.
Customers can save money on Priority Mail and Express Mail prices when mailing online with Click-N-Ship.

“The best shipping value is our Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes,” says Steve Forte, senior vice president, Operations. “No calculating postage or weighing packages is needed. If it fits, it ships, for one low rate.”

The Postal Service also offers pre-packaged shipping products, ReadyPost, sold at local Post Offices for customers needing sturdy, secure boxes and envelopes.

Also, cutomers can keep packages safe by following these tips:

Make sure packages can withstand processing without the contents or box breaking.

Cushion items with bubble wrap or foam peanuts so they don’t shift during transit.

Wrap each item separately when packing more than one item in the same box.

Remove batteries from electronic devices and wrap separately.

Use new boxes when possible. When reusing a box, make sure previous labels and markings are
covered before mailing.

Place an extra address label with the delivery and return address inside the package. This ensures the safe return of an item should the outside label becomes damaged or fall off.

Always use tape designed for sealing shipping boxes. Do not use string, cellophane or masking tape.

Holiday Military Mail Deadlines Near

There’s still time to ship packages for delivery by December 25 to overseas military bases — but hurry.

This Saturday, December 4, is the deadline to ship First-Class Mail or Priority Mail packages to Iraq, Afghanistan and surrounding areas — or to Army Post Office (APO), and Fleet Post Office (FPO) addresses with the ZIP Code 093. The deadline for packages to all other APO/FPO ZIP Codes is Friday, December 10.

To help the friends and families of service members, the Postal Service offers a $2 discount on its Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box shipped to APO/FPO addresses. Additional discounts are available for customers printing their Priority Mail postage labels online at Click-N-Ship.

USPS also offers free Military Care Kits, designed for military families sending packages overseas. The mailing kits can be ordered by calling 800-610-8734 and asking for the Care Kit. Each kit includes two “America Supports You” Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Boxes, four Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Boxes, six Priority Mail labels, one roll of Priority Mail tape and six customs forms with envelopes.

Mail addressed to military post offices overseas is subject to certain conditions or restrictions regarding content, preparation and handling. Items mailed to APO/FPO addresses generally require customs forms.

'Operation Santa' Comes to South Florida

Postal employees and customers will be able to fulfill the wishes of needy children in the South Florida community through “Operation Santa” this holiday season. On Friday, December 3, Santa’s postal elves will be in these lobbies where participants may sign up for a Santa letter:

FORT LAUDERDALE MAIN OFFICE, 10 am – 1 pm
1900 W OAKLAND PARK BLVD, FORT LAUDERDALE
Coordinator: Tashia Romano-Kravitz
Phone: 954-527-3281

MIAMI GMF POSTAL STORE, 1 pm – 3 pm
2200 NW 72 AVE, MIAMI
Coordinator: Rose Castro
Phone: 305-470-0386

SOUTH FLORIDA RETAIL UNIT, 10 am - 1 pm
16000 PINES BLVD, PEMBROKE PINES
Coordinator: Rose Mesenger-Mannisto
Phone: 954-443-6527

WEST PALM BEACH MAIN OFFICE, 10 am – 1 pm
3200 SUMMIT BLVD, WEST PALM BEACH
Coordinator: JoAnn Goodrich
Phone: 561-697-2145

Employees and customers may complete an application to select a child’s Santa letter, which will become available at a later date. Also effective December 3, they may contact a coordinator to sign up for a Santa letter Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm.

To protect children and their privacy, individuals who sign up for a Santa letter will receive a photocopy, which will have personal information, including name and address, blackened out. Individuals will purchase their gifts and bring them back to one of the above locations to pay for the postage to have items shipped to recipients. Holiday packages must be returned to an above designation before 5 pm on Wednesday, December 22.

In keeping with tradition, Santa remains committed to reading every child’s holiday letter. Stationed at the North Pole, Santa and his elves are building toys at a feverish pace to fulfill the wishes of good girls and boys. Santa has asked postal elves to help address the postcard that he sends to children in response to their letters. If you’re sending a letter to Santa, remember to affix a First-Class stamp!

Wrap Your Holidays in Postal Bargains

This holiday season, the Postal Service makes it easy to wrap up the magic of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.The Postal Service is offering a Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box adorned with two of the animated movie’s most beloved characters, Rudolph and aspiring dentist, Herbie the elf. Customers who purchase both the DVD and Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box postage save $2 off the DVD price of $14.99. Discount price would be $12.99.

The holiday "Let It Snow" CD is an exclusive collection of 11 holiday music classics from very well-known artists. Packaging for the CD is in a decorative snowflake box. The CD regularly sells for $12.99. With Priority Mail Flat rate postage, the CD sells for $10.99.

A Farewell Message from PMG Potter

At the end of the week, I’ll be turning in my ID badge. It’ll be my last “end tour” with the Postal Service.

I’m excited about the future, and I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life. But I’ll tell you something: You don’t work in a place for 32 years and walk away easily.

My father worked for the Postal Service. I met my wife here. We started a family. Along the way, we met so many people who meant a lot to us, and we made some very good friends. I even managed to have some fun along the way.

The Postal Service has been a big part of my life; it’s an experience I’ll never forget. You know as well as I do that this place can really get into your blood — it’s hard to say goodbye.

That’s what really sets the Postal Service apart. You care — about customers, the organization, and each other. I’ve seen it everywhere I’ve worked, as a brand-new clerk in New York, in jobs in Connecticut and DC, for almost 10 years as Postmaster General and at every facility I’ve visited — and that’s been quite a few. I can’t thank you enough for that.

People have been depending on us for a long, long time. And you’ve never let them down. In the plants and Post Offices, in the lobbies and on the routes, in the VMFs and in the administrative offices, you always give your best. You’ve made this the greatest Postal Service on earth. That’s something to be proud of.

And it hasn’t always been easy. The last 10 years have been some of the hardest we ever faced. When you travel as many miles as we do, there’s bound to be some bumps in the road. But we always worked our way past them, and we made real progress together.

With a bad economy, competition, and new technology, we’ve really had to be on our game. But you kept your eye on the ball, and you kept scoring — with great service and customer satisfaction. In a tough-cost environment, you made us more efficient than ever. And when customers think about our team, they know it means trust.

I’ll be honest with you — the work has been demanding. But you know that. I’ve enjoyed every minute — some more than others — but I’ve enjoyed them all. That’s one of the reasons my decision to retire was so difficult. Thinking about it, though, I know the Postal Service is in good hands.

First of all, there’s each one of you. I’ve seen what you can do. I know you’re going to keep giving it your best, because that’s what you’re all about.

And I know that Pat Donahoe has what it takes to be a great PMG. I’ve known him and I’ve worked with him for years. There’s no one who has more confidence in you. There’s no one who’s more committed to doing a great job for our customers. And there’s no better choice than Pat to lead our organization at this point in our history.

But he can’t do it alone — he’s going to need your help and your cooperation. And I know he can depend on the same support you gave me.

Our leadership may be changing, but our needs aren’t. We’ve got to make sure the Postal Service is a strong and vital part of our economy for a long time to come.

It’s going to take speed and flexibility to keep up with the changing demands of our customers. It’s going to take imagination and innovation to come up with new products and services. And it’s going to take energy, focus and determination to modernize today’s postal laws and regulations.

You’ve heard me say this before: There’s no single solution. There’s no quick fix. We have to take a balanced approach — a reasonable approach — to building a solid financial future. We can’t afford anything less. And that’s why we will make it happen.

It’s been a real honor to lead this great organization. And when I walk out the door on Friday, I’ll leave knowing that I’ve done my best. But my best wouldn’t have been possible without you. I want you to know that.

Whatever the future holds, I’ll always be a proud member of the postal family. I’ll always be a champion, an advocate and a promoter of the Postal Service. You can count on that. And I’ll always be one of you – I’ll always bleed “postal blue.”

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Jack Potter