Support the USPS

As many of you may have heard, the USPS is in a crisis right now. Concern for the fate of the post office has been building ever since the Trump Administration appointed Louis DeJoy as the Postmaster General back in May. DeJoy, a mega donor to the Trump Administration and a significant investor in competitors of the USPS, has since instituted broad changes to USPS leadership, in addition to reportedly decommissioning mail sorting machines ahead of the November elections. Not great.

He's also refrained from calling for additional funding to the USPS, even as the nation prepares for a surge in mail-in ballots as a result of Covid-19. Without additional funding, mail-in ballots run the risk of not being counted. Also not great.

But there are a couple easy ways to help. First, buy stamps. The USPS relies heavily on the sale of stamps for funding, and by picking some up, you'll be helping to support their operations. The second is to vote early. Voting early extends the processing time the USPS needs to get ballots to their destination, and in turn, counted, without being overwhelmed at the last minute.

As you sit at home, social distancing from friends and isolating from the outside world, there may be no better time to grab some stamps and send out some mail. Starting 9/16, we'll be including free postcards with every online order and have a stack at our Crosby shop free to pick up as well.

Catch up with an old friend.

Find a new pen pal.

Write a letter to your lover.

SUPPORT THE USPS.

Here are 13 other facts you may not have known about the USPS, taken from their website.

13. From facilitating the nation’s largest one day food drive, to working with customers to prevent dog bites, to educating customers on consumer protection, to delivering holiday cheer to those in need, the Postal Service supports communities nationwide.

12. Veterans. The Postal Service employs more than 97,000 military veterans and is one of the largest employers of veterans in the country.

11. All heart. The Postal Service is at the core of the $1.6 trillion U.S. mailing industry that employs more than 7.3 million people.

10. Heroes. Postal employees regularly go beyond the call of duty to protect the lives of customers they serve, including older and disabled customers through the Carrier Alert Program. In fiscal year 2019, the Postal Service recognized 232 heroic employees.

9. Greener than you think. Free Priority Mail boxes meet Sustainable Forestry initiative and Forest Stewardship Council certification standards. This means the paper for those boxes comes from well-managed forests. In addition, the boxes include at least 30-percent recycled content.

8. Retail giant. The Postal Service has the nation's largest retail network — bigger than McDonald’s, Starbucks and Walmart combined, domestically.

7. Global business. The Postal Service processes and delivers 48 percent of the world's mail and is constantly innovating to make customer experiences better.

6. Vehicles. The Postal Service has more than 228,000 vehicles, one of the largest civilian fleets in the world. New next-generation vehicles will have improved ergonomics, safety features, fuel efficiency and design flexibility.

5. Competition and collaboration. The Postal Service both competes and collaborates with the private sector. UPS and FedEx pay the Postal Service to deliver hundreds of millions of their ground packages, and USPS pays UPS and FedEx for air transportation.

4. Affordability. For 55 cents, anyone can send a letter, regardless of geographic location, to anywhere in the United States.

3. Dependable. The Postal Service is the only organization in the country that has the resources, network infrastructure and logistical capability to regularly deliver to every residential and business address in the nation.

2. Security. U.S. Mail is protected by more than 200 federal laws enforced by the Postal Inspection Service, one of the nation's oldest law enforcement agencies.

And most importantly...

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