The post office is vital to our country especially now during the pandemic. Postal workers are some of the heroes on the frontlines. Here’s a list of what you can do to help save the post office. Don’t be overwhelmed by this list. Just choose one or two. Some are fun.

1. E-mail or call as many of the following people as you can. They need to hear from as many of us as possible so they know that funding the post office is what the public wants.

A. Your Senators & House Representative. Tell them you want the post office to receive the funding it needs during this challenging time.  

B. Postmaster Inspector General, Tammy L. Whitcomb.  She is currently investigating Congress’ complaints about Louis DeJoy, the new Postmaster General.  She can be reached through:  https://www.uspsoig.gov/uspsoig-contact.
Their form is a bit elaborate.  The category that seems best is:  Internal affairs and executive investigations.

C.  Pennsylvania’s State Attorney General.  The Attorneys General for six states including PA are discussing how to sue the federal administration to prevent operational changes and funding lapses for the post office that could affect the election. They expect to announce legal action early this week.

D. The White House.  Let them know you want the Post Office funded so postal workers can keep delivering medicine, Social Security checks, and everything else that they are heroically delivering during this pandemic even in the most rural areas, where no other U.S. mail company will deliver.  

2. Sign petitions (and even text).

HelloGiggles.com has a great article on how to save the post office including some significant petitions you can sign, and a lot more you can do, even text to save the p.o. https://hellogiggles.com/news/how-to-help-save-the-post-office/

3. Buy stamps and other P.O. merch. (And see note re HP post office contest at D below.)

A. Fast Company (https://www.fastcompany.com/90540238/how-to-help-the-post-office-things-you-can-do-to-support-the-usps-right-now) and others recommend buying stamps, greeting cards, and other post office merchandise to help the p.o. now. Since stamp prices are due to rise in January, you can get Forever stamps now that will save you money in 2021 and help save the post office now.

B. This is a great time to start a stamp collection or help your children to start one.

C. The post office has interesting merchandise, e.g., The Art of Magic Kit with Stamps, a Marvin Gaye screen-printed poster, a U.S. Mail Carrier Toddler/Kids Costume (Halloween is coming), a U.S. Mail Carrier Dog Costume (Halloween is coming), an Earth Day t-shirt (currently back ordered), Christmas ornaments, a T-Rex 3D Puzzle & Notecard Set, and of course many greeting and note cards (and they can personalize them for you too). See https://store.usps.com/store/results/gifts/_/N-nnxamr#content.

D. If you are 12 or under, enter the HP post office contest I’m sponsoring and win post office merchandise. (Details in following e-mail.)

4. Send a letter to the Editor of your local newspaper or other media, tying it in to an article they’ve written about saving the post office.
Letters to the Editor are very widely read. Letters should be no more than 200-300 words. This is your chance to tell the community why you think the post office is important.

5. Use Facebook, Twitter, etc. to urge friends to save the post office and suggest one or more things they can do.

6. The next time you see your postal delivery person, thank her/him for the heroic work they are doing in this time of pandemic. Or you could leave a thank you note in your mail box.

janet jai, MLA
Author, Saving Our Public Libraries: Why We Should. How We Can, and Tree’s Song (for Jenni) about the lifelong love between a girl and a tree.