How the USPS stole Christmas.
Hundreds of care packages sent to US military members stationed overseas during the holidays were returned to a Connecticut-based nonprofit over a “ridiculous” minor technicality cited by the United States Postal Service — and now there’s no way the boxes will make it to the service members in time.
Three weeks ago, nonprofit Boxes to Boots shipped 1,139 holiday care packages intended for overseas service members. Of those, 884 were flagged by US Customs and sent back by USPS to the nonprofit, based in Berlin, Conn., though some were also lost in transit, the charity organizers told NBC Connecticut.
The Boxes and Boots team struggled to fathom what could’ve gone wrong — and why the other 255 packages were allowed through.
The organization hosts an annual drive to collect donations of snacks, candies and toiletries for overseas service members unable to be home with their families for the holidays, as well as a $75,000 fundraiser to cover the exorbitant shipping and operational costs.
This year, the nonprofit paid roughly $10,000 in shipping costs, the outlet reported.
When USPS rejected the mountain of packages, they cited “incomplete forms,” a USPS spokesperson told the local station.
Most of the returned boxes had the word “toiletries” circled on their labels — apparently, that description is too vague.
“More detailed descriptions are now required for all international packages, so it’s important not to use generic terms. It is important for customers to know that incorrect or incomplete data can prevent the Postal Service from detecting potential violations of federal export laws,” the spokesperson said.
USPS also started to require all international parcels to include a specific tariff code on Sept. 1, though the nonprofit’s organizers assured each care package had the corresponding six-digit key.
“They’re clearly marked for our US military. As far as I’m concerned, in New York [where the boxes were flagged, someone] could have put these boxes, hundreds of boxes on the side, asked a supervisor what we should do about these, perhaps call Boxes to Boots, explain the issue, and taken care of it right then and there,” Boxes to Boots President Kristen Gauvin told NBC Connecticut.
Gauvin explained that, with the snafu, there’s no way the remaining packages can be delivered to the military members in time for the holidays. She warned that many rely on these packages for motivation and a boost in morale while they’re away from their families.
“I heard from a service member weeks ago saying he was looking for support. He needed support. He’s having a tough time during his first deployment. His box is sitting there in the office on the floor, and I can’t get that over to him,” Gauvin told the outlet.
“I’m losing sleep over this. We need some answers. We need some solutions here. This is ridiculous,” she added.
The nonprofit reached out to US Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat who represents Connecticut, for assistance. On Saturday, Blumenthal wrote on X that he is “demanding action” from USPS “to find and deliver” all the packages.
“USPS chaos & confusion, caused by contradictory interpretations of tariff codes, & other technicalities, have led to stopping & misplacing these packages,” Blumenthal wrote in the thread.
The Post reached out to USPS for comment.
Boxes and Boots was founded by Karen Cote, a military mother, in 2015. What started as a project to send care packages to Cote’s son and his unit in Kuwait grew into a sprawling network with connections to service members in 13 different countries, according to its website.
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