Area residents join the sprint with holiday mail as the busiest of the holiday mailing and shipping season for the Postal Service draws to an end.
In the two weeks leading up to Christmas, Dec. 10 through 23, the Postal Service expected to deliver nearly 200 million packages each week nationwide.
Postal officials note that package volumes are high locally as well and that customers are encouraged to pick up packages at the Charlotte Amalie Post Office, 9846 Estate Thomas, and the Veterans Annex postal facility, at 6500 Veterans Drive on St Thomas.
Havensight Post Office, 9007 Havensight Shopping Center, and the Christiansted Post Office, 1140 Estate Richmond, will also continue an additional Sunday of package pickups from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. again this Sunday, designed to accommodate seasonal mailing needs. The Kingshill Post Office, 2 Estate La Reine, St. Croix, will extend hours until 3 p.m. for pickup service as well. Offices will offer regular Saturday retail hours and a full schedule for delivery.
Overall, the Postal Service anticipated delivering nearly 15 billion total pieces of mail and more than 900 million packages between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day — for a total of nearly 16 billion joyful mail and package deliveries this holiday season.
Postal officials also note that Monday will be a regular day for mail delivery with reduced hours at most retail postal locations as local requirements dictate. Blue collection boxes with final collection times before noon will not be affected by early closing on December 24.
If a box has a final collection time after 12 p.m., its mail may be picked up earlier. For mail pickup on December 24, please put your mail into blue collection boxes by noon regardless of the final collection times posted on the box.
Postal officials also note that Postal Service operations will not be interrupted in the event of a government shutdown, and all Post Offices will remain open for business as usual.
As an independent entity that is funded through the sale of products and services, and not by tax dollars, services will not be impacted by a government shutdown.
