How USPS Complicated Holiday Deliveries
This holiday season, hundreds of care packages meant for U.S. military personnel overseas were sent back to a nonprofit organization in Connecticut. The U.S. Postal Service attributed this to, well, rather “ridiculous” and minor technical errors. Unfortunately, it seems these packages won’t make it to the soldiers before the holidays.
About three weeks ago, the nonprofit Boxes to Boots mailed out 1,139 holiday care packages. However, 884 were flagged and returned by U.S. Customs via USPS. Some packages even went missing during the process, according to organizers. It’s puzzling that while 255 packages were successfully delivered, most got held up.
Each year, Boxes to Boots runs a drive to gather goodies like snacks, candies, and toiletries for service members who can’t be home for the holidays. They also conduct a significant fundraiser to cover the high costs of shipping and operations, which this year amounted to around $10,000.
A spokesperson from USPS mentioned that the high number of returned packages was due to “incomplete documentation.” In most cases, the word “toiletries” was circled on the labels, which was apparently deemed too vague.
They highlighted that all international parcels now need more detailed descriptions. It’s crucial to avoid generic terms as inaccuracies can hinder identifying potential violations of federal export laws.
Despite this, organization leaders insisted that each package contained the necessary identifiers. Kristen Gauvin, the president of Box to Boots, voiced her frustration, suggesting that if USPS personnel had communicated better, many of these issues could have been resolved right away.
Unfortunately, Gauvin noted that with the delays, it’s now unlikely the remaining packages will reach troops in time. Many service members rely on these boxes for a morale boost while away from home. She recalled hearing from one soldier who was struggling during his first deployment, his awaited box sitting idle in her office.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, representing Connecticut, has stepped in to assist. Recently, he called on USPS to “locate and deliver” the remaining packages and expressed his concerns regarding the bureaucracy surrounding their return.
He stated that confusion stemming from USPS and customs regulations contributed to the packages’ misplacement and suspension.
Founded in 2015 by military mother Karen Cote, Boxes to Boots originally aimed to send care packages to her son and his troops in Kuwait. What began as a small project has blossomed into a substantial network supporting service members across 13 countries.
