Overview
Use Priority Mail® Flat Rate Boxes to remind college students, missionaries, military members, friends, and family around the globe that they are not forgotten during the holidays. For many, nothing speaks of home or the holidays quite like a home-cooked meal.
Using canned and dry goods, a “Meal in a Box” can be created. It might be hard to believe, but the Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box can hold all the canned or dried food items necessary for an entire turkey dinner. This means turkey (or chicken), stuffing, potatoes, gravy, yam casserole with marshmallows, olives, cranberry sauce, and, of course, a traditional pumpkin pie with whipped topping can be shipped together in one box for one flat rate. Be sure to pack and cushion your items securely within the box.
All of the food ingredients, along with a recipe with suggested preparation instructions, fit into a single Priority Mail Flat Rate Box. The meal is easy to make and gives that taste of home that so many away for the holidays miss.
This “Flavor of Home” publicity kit contains all the elements you will need to execute “Flavor of Home” events in your community, including:
n A Corporate Communications field managers contact list.
n Publicity ideas.
n Protocol instructions to follow for military installations.
n An event checklist.
n An ingredients list and recipe.
n A letter to the editor (request for coverage).
n Talking points.
n A fact sheet on Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes.
n A fill-in media advisory and press release.
Corporate Communications Field Managers
As you plan events in your community, be sure to notify the Corporate Communications field manager, who can assist in maximizing your publicity opportunities. Contact him/her at least 2 weeks in advance of your event.
Publicity Ideas
n Contact local grocery stores and/or a local military installation commissary to set up a table with the suggested menu items, recipe cards, and Priority Mail boxes.
n Create a “Top Menu” recipe challenge for people to create their very own “Meal in a Box” for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and/or New Year’s dinners.
n Host an event in your lobby. Provide refreshments (budget allowing) and invite military families and personnel to attend. Highlight the lower price offered for the Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box mailed to APO/FPO/DPO addresses as well as the Military Care Kits.
n In a postal lobby, open a flat-rate box and display the ingredients and one of the recipe cards. Provide copies of the recipe and ingredients to customers.
n Reach out to local civic groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H groups, and church groups, and invite them to participate in “Flavor of Home” events or to create “Meals in a Box” of their own, including meals for campouts, sleepovers, and church groups.
n Partner with local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) offices, American Legion offices, and other military organizations.
n Work with local churches to send “Meal in a Box” items to missionaries and church workers who are working overseas.
n Notify local radio and TV stations of “Flavor of Home” events and ask for event details to be shared on the air and/or on their websites. Work with your area Corporate Communications field manager (see list on this page) when contacting the media.
n Send a “Letter to the Editor” to local newspapers requesting coverage, (see pages 2–4).
How to Order Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes
Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes can be ordered from the Material Distribution Center (MDC) by using touch-tone order entry (TTOE): Call 800-273-1509.
Protocol Instructions for Events on Military Bases and Installations
n Write a letter to the Public Affairs Office (PAO) of the military base or installation several weeks in advance of your event. Provide background information on the Postal Service’s™ lower price for Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Boxes mailed to APO/FPO/DPO addresses. Include what you are asking, suggest timing of the event, and include the date a response is requested by.
n Contact the Corporate Communications Office (CCO) in advance of your event. Clear media attendance through the CCO. Typically, a PAO representative will meet media at the entrance gate and escort them on base at all times.
n Be prepared to show your driver’s license, vehicle registration (privately owned vehicles only), and proof of insurance at the entrance gate to the military base or installation. Failure to provide this could result in your car being confiscated and towed.
n If there is a postal facility on base, contact that office for additional protocol information.
Event Checklist
Schedule event
Contact your Corporate Communications field manager at least 2 weeks prior to event
Ensure sufficient supply of stamps for Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes
Ensure adequate supply of Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Boxes and Military Care Kits
Purchase refreshments (optional)
Award prizes for “Top Menu” challenge
List of Ingredients
All ingredients listed below represent canned or dried food items. For restrictions and prohibitions to specific military APO/FPO/DPO addresses, consult the “Supporting Our Troops” page on the USPS® website at www.usps.com/supportingourtroops/welcome.htm.
1 box of dried whipped topping mix
1 box of no-bake pumpkin pie dessert
1 9-inch tin pie pan
1 box of dried stuffing mix
1 package of instant mashed potatoes
1 quart boxed milk
1 16 oz. can candied yams
1 12 oz. jar marshmallow topping
1 14 oz. can of vegetables
1 16 oz. can of cranberry sauce
1 package cornbread mix
1 package dried, turkey gravy
1 package butter-flavored shortening
1 canned turkey or chicken (can be found at many specialty food stores)
Total approximate cost — $25
“Flavor of Home” Recipe
Turkey or Chicken — Heat to desired temperature. Season to taste.
Pumpkin pie — Follow directions on box for crust and filling. If no butter is available, substitute butter-flavored shortening provided. Press crust mix into provided tin pie pan. Pour mixture into crust. Refrigerate.
Whipped topping — Follow directions on box. Add vanilla (optional) for flavor. Refrigerate.
Cranberry sauce — Open can, place on plate, and refrigerate.
Cornbread — Follow directions on box, adding water to mix. Bake according to directions for 15–20 minutes.
Candied yams — Open can. Heat according to directions. Pour marshmallow topping to taste.
Stuffing — Mix with water and cook according to packaging directions. If no butter is available, substitute butter-flavored shortening provided.
Mashed Potatoes — Mix with boiling water and mix according to packaging directions
Gravy — Mix with boiling water and stir.
Vegetable — Open can and heat until hot.
Letter to the Editor (request for coverage)
[Insert Date]
[Insert Publication Name]
[Insert Street Address]
[Insert City, State ZIP+4]
Dear Editor:
People in our community have connections spanning the globe. Friends and family are dispatched to every continent to serve as military members and missionaries, or to perform various job assignments. Additionally, there are college students and other family members who are living away from home, and many are spending the holidays alone.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to provide a “Flavor of Home” to those located far from home? And what is a better reminder of home than a holiday meal. The Postal Service is currently sponsoring several events to help encourage people to send reminders of home to friends and family away from home for the holidays. We have created a recipe that uses everyday canned and dried food items to prepare a home-cooked holiday meal.
It might be hard to believe, but one of our Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Boxes can hold all the ingredients necessary for an entire turkey dinner. This includes turkey (or chicken), stuffing, potatoes, gravy, yam casserole with marshmallows, olives, cranberry sauce, and, of course, a traditional pumpkin pie with whipped cream.
All of the food ingredients, along with a recipe with suggested preparation instructions, fit into a single Priority Mail Flat Rate Box — the ultimate gift box for delicious holiday meals. The meal is easy to make and gives that “flavor of home” that so many away for the holidays yearn for.
Care packages and reminders of home are a big morale boost for military service members stationed around the world. To help families and friends of military personnel, the Postal Service also offers a lower postage price on its largest Priority Mail Flat Rate Box addressed to U.S. military overseas. Be sure to package and cushion the items securely within the box.
[Next week/in two weeks], we will host a “Flavor of Home” event featuring [insert short list of activities, guests, etc.]. I want to make sure the people of [insert name of community] know about the Postal Service’s lower postage price when shipping a Priority Mail Large Flate Rate Box to an APO/FPO/DPO address as well as our free Military Care Kit, specially designed for military families sending packages overseas.
I hope you will publicize information on the Postal Service’s “Flavor of Home” events and stop by [insert location, address] to join us in sending holiday cheer to friends and family who are away from home this holiday season.
Sincerely,
[Insert Name]
Postmaster
[Insert City]
Talking Points — ‘Flavor of Home’ Promotion
n The Postal Service is encouraging communities nationwide to send “Flavor of Home” packages to friends and families around the globe. U.S. citizens serving and working in overseas locations look forward to receiving care packages from friends and loved ones back home, and nothing compares to a familiar holiday meal.
n The beauty of Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes is that if it fits, it ships, for one low price. Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes are the best value in the market. We’ve prepared a suggested menu and a printed ingredient list for the canned and dried food items, along with preparation instructions, and all the items are meant to fit in a Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box.
n The Postal Service supports the troops, and customers save $2 on Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Boxes addressed to U.S. military APO/FPO/DPO addresses.
n The Postal Service also offers free Military Care Kits, specially designed for military families sending packages overseas. The mailing kits can be ordered by phone by calling 800-610-8734 and asking for the Military Care Kit. Each kit includes two “America Supports You” Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Boxes, four Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Boxes, six Priority Mail labels, one roll of Priority Mail tape, and six customs forms with envelopes.
n Families can log on to www.usps.com/
supportingourtroops for tips on packing, mailing restrictions to APO/FPO/DPO addresses, information on proper addressing to military installations, and support services for military families.
Talking Points — Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box
n Free, eco-friendly Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes can be ordered online at www.usps.com; under “Order Supplies” (step 2), click Order eco-friendly boxes, or call 800-610-8734 and ask for an operator.
n The Postal Service offers a lower postage price on Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Boxes sent to APO/FPO/DPO addresses overseas.
n Customers also have a choice of two exterior designs with the Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box. One box features the standard Postal Service logo. The other box also includes a distinctive America Supports You logo on the outside of the box to go with the special contents inside.
n America Supports You is a program of the Department of Defense designed to assist Americans in showing their support for the troops.
n The new lower postage price is not tied to the logo. The savings applies to both the regular and the APO/FPO/DPO Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Boxes, so long as they are addressed to an APO/FPO/DPO address.
n As one of our nation’s oldest public service institutions and the employer of more than 180,000 military veterans, the Postal Service is proud to offer these new services and to support our troops with the lower postage price and the cobranded America Supports You box.
Fact Sheet — Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box
Benefits
n The Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box provides an additional option for customers who want to take advantage of Priority Mail flat-rate pricing.
n The same box can be used for either domestic or international shipments.
n Customers shipping the Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box or the specially designed APO/FPO/DPO version to APO/FPO/DPO ZIP™ Codes will pay less.
n The box is not subject to surcharges, and may be combined with USPS.com® online services like free Carrier Pickup™ service.
n Customers may order boxes from The Postal Store®, at www.usps.com, and by calling 800-610-8734.
n The boxes are eco-friendly and have received Cradle to Cradle Certification. This independent certification is awarded to products that use ecologically intelligent design and eliminate the concept of waste.
Size
12 inches x 12 inches x 5-1/2 inches
Prices
n Domestic shipments — $13.95.
n Shipments to APO/FPO addresses — $11.95.
n Shipments to Canada and Mexico — $32.95.
n International shipments to the rest of the world — $53.95.
n Save 5-percent on international shipments, and receive lower prices for domestic or APO/FPO/DPO mailings when postage is purchased online.
Note: The Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box has a 70-pound weight limit to domestic addresses. There is a 20-pound weight limit on shipments to international destinations.
Date
Contact: Name
(O) xxx-xxx-xxxx
(C) xxx-xxx-xxxx
xxxxx@usps.gov
usps.com/news
Media Advisory
Sending Friends and Family the ‘Flavor of Home’
Flat-Rate Boxes Offer Recipes for Holiday Cheer
WHAT: [Describe the event; e.g., USPS organizes a “Flavor of Home” recipe challenge, stuff a box event, etc.]
The event will also include the use of Priority Mail® Flat Rate Boxes as the preferred choice for shipping holiday meals to family and friends located around the globe. With Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, if it fits, it ships.
WHO: [List local public officials, key Postal Service participants, partners and special guests participating and/or attending event.]
WHEN: [Hour, Day, Date, Time.]
WHERE: [Insert Address of Event Location.]
BACKGROUND: What better reminder of home is there than a home-cooked holiday meal? The Postal Service™ is currently organizing an event for people to send reminders of home to their families and friends. We’ve created a recipe utilizing common canned and dried food items that recreates a traditional holiday meal when prepared. For restrictions and prohibitions to military APO/FPO/DPO addresses, consult the Supporting Our Troops page on the Postal Service’s website at www.usps.com/
supportingourtroops/welcome.htm.
# # ##
An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service® is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office™ boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[Insert Date]
Media Contact: [First and Last Name]
(O) [Office Phone]
(C) [Cell Phone]
[E-mail]@usps.gov
usps.com/news
Sending Family and Friends a Little ‘Flavor of Home’
Flat-Rate Boxes Offer Recipe for Holiday Cheer
[CITY, STATE] — Ask anyone who is away from home during the holidays and the one thing missed most is that home-cooked holiday meal. Whether the turkey dinner that only mom can make or grandma’s special pumpkin pie that disappears almost as fast as it’s served, nothing brings in the season like the delicious tastes of holiday meals.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to send a flavor of home to loved ones away for the holidays? With Priority Mail® Flat Rate Boxes from the U.S. Postal Service®, if the recipe fits, the meal ships.
To help ship holiday meals to those far from home, the [City, State] Post Office™ is offering checklists and recipes for sending a little taste of a home to loved ones around the country and across the globe. By using recipes of common canned and dried foods, all the items needed to prepare a traditional holiday meal can be shipped using a Priority Mail Flat Rate Box.
“Many of us have friends and family who will spend the holidays away from home,” said [Insert name and title]. “The Postal Service wants to help connect you to loved ones who may be far away in miles, but are close in spirit, with tasty meals in a box.”
Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes also can serve up holiday meals to military men and women serving the country overseas. A discount is available when using the largest Priority Mail Flat Rate Box to ship to military addresses. The domestic mail price for the Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box is $13.95, but for packages to U.S. military addresses overseas, the price is reduced to only $11.95.
For restrictions and prohibitions to military APO/FPO/DPO addresses, consult the Supporting Our Troops page on the Postal Service’s website at www.usps.com/supportingourtroops/welcome.htm.
“Care packages from home are a big morale boost,” said [Insert Name]. “With Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, you can lift spirits without weighing yourself down. If it fits, it ships for one low price.” Free, eco-friendly Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes are free at any Post Office, or can be ordered online at www.usps.com.
The Postal Service™ receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
# # ##
An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.
— Public Relations, Corporate Communications, 11-5-09
