ANCHORAGE, AK — Twenty-five Alaska Post Offices, including 11 in Anchorage, will open a dutch door on Sundays during the holidays for customers to pick up notified mail and packages which could not be delivered on the first attempt.

“It’s all about customer convenience.” said Anchorage Postmaster Bret Sisco. “Opening a dutch door on Sundays will help our customers’ pick up packages at a time that may be more convenient for them.”

Customers looking to buy stamps and ship packages on Sundays can do so at the Anchorage Main Post Office at 4141 Postmark Dr., which offers full retail service from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.

The following Anchorage postal locations will offer dutch door package pickup service from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2 and Dec. 9:

• Midtown 3721 B Street
• Muldoon 2420 Muldoon Rd
• Huffman 1221 Huffman Park Dr

The following Anchorage area postal locations will offer dutch door package pickup service from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 16 and Dec. 23:

• Russian Jack 801 Northway Drive
• Spenard 1601 W Northern Lights Blvd
• Sand Lake 2200 Strawberry Rd
• Lake Otis 5855 Lake Otis Pkwy
• Midtown 3721 B Street
• Muldoon 2420 Muldoon Rd
• Huffman 1221 Huffman Park Dr
• Eastchester 800 Ingra St

Two Wasilla postal locations will offer dutch door package pickup service from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2, Dec. 9, Dec. 16 and Dec. 23:

• Wasilla Main 401 North Main St
• Wasilla Annex 626 N Bobby Day Circle

Other Alaska postal locations offering dutch door package pickup service on Sunday Dec. 16 and Dec. 23:

• Fairbanks Main 5400 Mail Trail Rd – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Fairbanks College 755 Fairbanks St – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Fairbanks North Pole, 325 S Santa Claus Lane – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Juneau Mendenhall 9491 Vintage Blvd – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Ketchikan 3609 Tongass Ave – 10 a.m. to noon
• Sitka 201 Katlian Street – 10 a.m. to noon
• Eagle River 11471 Business Blvd – 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Palmer 500 South Cobb St – 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• Homer 3658 Heath Street – noon to 2 p.m.
• Kenai 140 Bidarka Street – 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Soldotna 175 N Binkley Street – noon to 3 p.m.
• Kodiak 419 Lower Mill Bay Rd – noon to 3 p.m.

Postmaster Sisco shared some shipping tips and a request to help keep carriers safe.

Skip the Trip and Ship Online
Consumers don’t even have to leave home to ship their packages, simply visit usps.com to order free Priority Mail boxes, print shipping labels, purchase postage and even request free next-day Package Pickup. And usps.comis always open.

Proper Packaging

• Never use brown paper and string to wrap your packages as they can get caught in USPS automated processing equipment.
• Use a strong box, Priority Mail Boxes are free and available at your Post Office
• Use shipping and packing tape, and ensure the items in the box don’t shift when moving it back and forth.
• Always use the right ZIP Code.
• Go to usps.com/holiday for more shipping tips and to check ZIP Codes.

Help Keep Your Carrier Safe

• Keep your dogs restrained
• Clear snow and ice from around mailboxes and walkways when it snows

“Customers can count on the Postal Service and our more than 640,000 dedicated employees to deliver their holiday gifts, cards and letters on-time this holiday season,” said Sisco.

The Postal Service recommends the following Christmas mailing and shipping deadlines:

Holiday Military Shipping Deadlines

• Dec. 4 – Priority Mail and First-Class Mail to Military addresses in Iraq and Afghanistan
• Dec. 11 – Priority Mail and First-Class Mail to all other Military addresses
• Dec. 18 – USPS Priority Mail Express to Military Addresses (except Iraq and Afghanistan)

International Shipping Deadlines

• Dec. 1 – Priority Mail International to Africa, Central and South America
• Dec. 8 – Priority Mail International to all other countries
• Dec. 15 – Priority Mail Express International to Africa, Central and South America
• Dec. 18 to 20 – Global Express Guaranteed depending on country

Domestic Shipping Deadlines

• Dec. 3 – Retail Ground
• Dec. 20 – First-Class Mail and packages
• Dec. 20 – Priority Mail
• Dec. 22 – Priority Mail Express

Additional news and information, including all domestic, international and military mailing and shipping deadlines, can be found at the Postal Service Holiday Newsroom at usps.com/holidaynews

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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