Operation Santa

Photo Courtesy of USPS.com

December has arrived, and the USPS has kicked off its Operation Santa program. This program allows individuals, charities, businesses, and more to respond to letters that children have written to Santa.

This program is held at select post offices across the United States. People may go to the post office and select a letter from a child, and then are encouraged to return to the post office with a gift. Letters are often asking for items such as warm coats and gloves, toys, and presents for friends and family.

This annual program has been running every December for 102 years. It kicked off in New York City with a ceremony on December 2^nd to celebrate the start of the program for the season.

Some post offices are accepting the return of packages through Christmas Eve, though most participating locations have a cut off around mid December to give post offices ample time to deliver the gifts. Some cities that are participating this year are Cleveland, Ohio, Chicago, IL, Boston, MA, and more.

For a full list of participating post offices, including days and times of operation, click HERE. You can also read about the program on the USPS site, HERE.

We have just one more link for you. To see the USPS full list of holiday items, from resources and mailing dates to information about holiday programs, you can follow THIS LINK.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. We hope that this month is magical and special for all of our customers this year.

Letters From Santa

Do you have young ones at home who still believe in Santa? Make their Christmas extra special by assisting in them receiving a real letter back from Santa!

The USPS is offering a special program that will allow children to get letters back from the North Pole. It does take a little creative work from you, but it will be worth it to see your child’s face when they open that letter.

You will have to be sneaky and agree to mail your child’s letter, then read it and respond yourself. Be sure to reference your child’s accomplishments and remind them to sleep early on Christmas eve. Then place the letter in an envelope addressed to home, and mail that letter in a larger envelope to:

NORTH POLE HOLIDAY POSTMARK
POSTMASTER
4141 POSTMARK DR
ANCHORAGE AK 99530-9998

The postmaster will use the North Pole postmark and mail the letter you’ve written back to your home. But don’t let your children wait too long! Letters must be received by December 15^th, 2014 to make it back in time.

You can find full instructions on the USPS website HERE.

Make this Christmas extra special and memorable, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Holiday Shipping

Christmas is under two months away, which means it is time to start thinking about shipping presents out to loved ones across the country, or even out of the country! You might be thinking that it seems a bit early to worry about this, but the U.S. Postal Service has announced their recommended holiday shipping times already!

It is always better not to wait when it comes to shipping gifts. Of course it is not always that simple. You may not have the gifts yet and cannot get them for a while. Maybe you are waiting on an address. Either way, it is always better for a gift to arrive too early, rather than too late.

Outside of mailing dates, what are some other tips when it comes to mailing holiday items? We have a few for you. The first is to be positive that the postal service can ship your items. This is rarely a problem, but it is better to be safe. Be sure to pack your items intelligently. You want a sturdy box with plenty of padding for larger items, or a bubble mailer for smaller items. No one wants your gifts to break while they are in transit. You can also save time by requesting the post office to pick up the package from you, saving yourself a trip to the post office.

In summary, don’t rush to send out your packages to loved ones right now, but don’t wait too long!

Below we’ve listed the USPS recommended shipping dates. You can get more information about shipping items at usps.com.

USPS 2014 Christmas Shipping Deadlines: 

 

• Dec. 2 – First-Class Mail International

• Dec. 2 – Priority Mail International

• Dec. 10 – Priority Mail Express International

• Dec. 15 – Standard Post

• Dec. 17 – Global Express Guaranteed

• Dec. 20 – First-Class Mail

• Dec. 20 – Priority Mail

• Dec. 23 – Priority Mail Express

All About Us

On this blog we have covered a lot of topics, such as mailbox maintenance, safety tips, and USPS news. What we haven’t talked about much is our own products on DirectClusterMailboxes.com!

However, we have a lot of products to choose from, and featuring specific cluster mailboxes is a fairly daunting task. Instead, we’re going to choose the different categories of mailboxes you, the customer, have to choose from.

F-Spec Cluster Box Units

These USPS approved Cluster Box Units are perfect for your centralized mail delivery needs. Our cluster mailboxes are secure and durable, approved throughout the USA in all types of weather conditions. We realize how paramount it is that everyone’s privacy and security is maintained when it comes to their mail. Because of this, we’ve designed our units to be as safe as possible. Follow the link to browse our large selection.

Decorative Cluster Box Units

Our decorative units offer all the same durability and security of our standard units. The only difference is the design. We carry six standard colors to choose from, which is powdercoated over the stainless steel units. If you are in need for a Cluster Box Unit but want something that is more formal or decorative, than these are the units for you. If you are interested in exploring all the styles we have to offer, simply follow the link above.

Outdoor Parcel Lockers

Our outdoor parcel lockers come in two forms: free-standing and wall mount. The locker style of these units allow for larger parcels to be delivered securely to your building. We have multiple color and door options. Packages are being sent more and more frequently, and that seems unlikely to change. Invest in keeping these items secure.

CBU Replacement Parts

 Sometimes accidents happen or parts need to be replaced. That is why on our site we offer CBU replacement parts. We carry keys, locks, doors, and conversion kits. Ordering replacement parts as you need them is extremely important to maintaining the security of your unit. Follow the link to see all we have to offer!

CBU Decals

Use custom mailbox accessories to identify specific units. Our decals are weatherproof, meaning that no matter what conditions the units are faced with, the cluster boxes will be able to be easily identified. 

And there you have it! Those are our main categories of products on our site. Don’t stop there, though. Go ahead and browse further!

Fight Mailbox Vandalism

There are constantly news stories out there about mailboxes being vandalized. But what can you do to prevent this? Vandalism often happens while people work, or during the night when everyone is asleep. There’s not much you can do, right?

Wrong.

While it is true that you have little control over vandalism, there are steps you can take to help prevent it. These steps don’t guarantee your mailbox will be safe, but it might deter vandals or prevent further attacks.

1.  Consider in a heavy-duty mailbox. These can be made with steel, mounted on tougher poles, and more. It will make your mailboxes more difficult to destroy and vandals will likely seek easier targets. Be careful though that the mailbox is strong without being a liability. Do your research before installing something and be sure it is USPS approved.

2. If possible, keep your mailbox mounted closer to your front door or porch. Vandals are more likely to go for curbside mailboxes rather than approaching a front door.

3. Invest in a motion sensor light. These are often installed near porches or garage doors. If a vandal approaches your mailbox and the area is suddenly lit, they may reconsider. If you don’t want to have that bright of a light on the road, consider something such as solar lights to stop the mailbox from being concealed in darkness all night.

4. Report any vandalism. This can lead to the USPS or police looking into the incident, which may prevent further problems.

5. Obtain Label 33 and attach it to your mailbox. You can get this from the Postal Inspection Service, and it warns that intentional damage to a mailbox or theft is a crime.

Of course, there’s only so much you can do to prevent vandalism, but these tips are a good start. See if any of them work for you!