2008 Year in review
Employees help connect with new business
We’ll not only deliver and pick up that letter or package for you, we’ll introduce you to our products and services and show you economical ways to mail and ship with the Postal Service. When we introduced our new shipping services pricing, we equipped employees with information they would need to spread the good word about our shipping to our customers. From carriers to retail associates at the Post Office to employees at the back dock, our workforce is dedicated to making the Postal Service the shipper of choice for America. In addition, we’re broadening our outreach to Hispanic, Asian and other markets, including Spanish-language advertising.
Committed to a safe workplace
Federal officials praise the Postal Service for its attention to the health and safety of its employees. More than 150 of our worksites have achieved Voluntary Protection Program status from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This program brings management, employees and union representatives together to work to reduce injuries and illnesses. And we’re also working to spread a safety message to the youngest generation of postal customers. Our drivers are trained to watch out for children. Through public service announcements and educational materials, we’re raising awareness that children should never approach our delivery vehicles.
Eco-friendly solutions and green innovation
Environmental responsibility is a corporate-wide priority. We created a vice president of sustainability to build on programs already under way as well as embrace new opportunities. As always, we’re leading the way in advancing alternative-fuel vehicle technology, energy conservation, and recycling efforts. In 2008, the White House Council on Environmental Quality recognized five Postal Service environmental initiatives. From offering eco-friendly shipping boxes to promoting up-to-date address lists and targeted direct mail, we’re encouraging our customers to “go green.” Americans can learn more about our sustainability efforts by visiting usps.com/green.
Corporate citizenship and community involvement
We give back to the communities we serve. We support programs like the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive, which collected a record-setting 73.1 million pounds of food donations. America’s Looking For Its Missing Children program has resulted in the safe return of 148 children. More than 40,000 employees have joined the National Marrow Donor Program registry.Our semipostal stamps address important social concerns, raising more than $62 million for breast cancer research. And in an election year, we worked with the Department of Defense to deliver absentee ballots to members of the armed forces serving abroad. Also, state and county election officials could go to usps.com/electionmail to find information on how to prepare and send mail as part of the election process.
Delivering for Americans when disaster strikes
When an earthquake damaged the West Covina Post Office in Southern California, the Postmaster moved the lobby outside into mobile retail vans. When floodwaters spilled into the Fond du Lac Post Office in Wisconsin, employees reported to work at the county fairgrounds. In the aftermath of wildfires in the West and tornadoes in the South, we made sure residents got their mail. When a historic hurricane season’s powerful storms pounded the Gulf Coast and moved up the Eastern seaboard, employees rose to the challenge and kept the mail moving. We kept customers informed about their mail service at usps.com. We promise to deliver for you, and we keep that promise.
