Nonprofits need help to overturn USPS rate hikes

USPS APO fees have DOUBLED.
We have had our APO shipping fees double since Jan. 1,2018. These care packages provide much needed basic comforts and a morale boost to our service members. We receive thank you notes, pictures and tokens of appreciation from our men and women that receive our packages. They know to look for our boxes. We impact thousands of military men and women when our boxes are received by 11 outposts.
These rate changes are the result of the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) consolidation of postal centers that process APO/FPO military mail. Previously, five of these centers located throughout the country processed packages to be sent to military installations abroad. However, these centers have now been consolidated into a single facility located in Chicago. As a result, nonprofits and others wishing to send care packages to service-members must now pay the domestic postage rate from their location to Chicago, instead of the much more conveniently located centers they previously used.
We are imploring our community to reach out to media, politicians and social media to pressure the USPS to “roll back” this change. The shipping price changed overnight, without any notice. We used to spend $1,400 for a shipment of boxes that now cost us $2,900. This is going to drastically reduce the number of packages we can ship as well as items that the military men and women specifically need.
To date, Supplies For Soldiers has reached out to many politicians and have yet to receive a response to our plea for assistance.
Mark Wolfe
Director, Supplies for Soldiers