You Can Still Mail Your Gift for Christmas

You've procrastinated.  And you still need to mail a gift to a relative or friend out of town. And you want it to be there in time for Christmas.

You can still get your gift from here to there with Express Mail. Woonsocket Postmaster Jim Finn said that this form of mail will even be delivered during the holiday.   

"If you haven't sent them yet, the only way to guarantee it will arrive on time is Express Mail," he said. Finn said employees at the started delivering that message to customers today.

Express Mail will cost you about $18, though. It’s not cheap. But packages and envelopes for most Express Mail items are free. You can get most packaging materials in the lobby of the 127 Social St. facility.

You can skip the trip to the post office entirely by going online at usps.com. The post office will pick up your gift from your home or office if you schedule it. But you better do it today.

The Social Street post office will be open during their normal Saturday hours on Christmas Eve day and packages can be dropped off until 1 p.m. The Providence Post Office at 24 Corliss St. will remain open until 5 p.m. if you absolutely must use a postal facility.

Here are a few tips and guidelines for addressing packages and envelopes:

• Make sure packages can withstand processing without the contents or box breaking.
• Cushion items with bubble wrap and foam peanuts so they do not shift during transit.
• Wrap each item separately when packing more than one item in the same box.
• Remove batteries from electronic devices and wrap separately.
• Use new boxes when possible. When reusing a box make sure previous labels and markings are covered before mailing.
• Place an extra address label with the delivery and return address inside the package. This ensures the safe return of an item that could not be delivered should the outside label become damaged or fall off.
• Always use tape designed for sealing shipping boxes. Do not use string, cellophane or masking tape to seal packages.
• Packages can weigh up to 70 lbs. and measure up to 130 inches in combined length and width. Make sure the width is measured around the largest point of the package.
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Guidelines for addressing envelopes and packages:

• Print complete address clearly.
• A complete address includes:
• the recipient's name
• Post Office Box or street number
• street name
• suffix (AVE., ST, LN, etc.)
• directional (N, E, S, W)
• secondary address (apartment or suite number)
• city, state and 5-digit ZIP Code
• example: 123 S MAIN ST APT 4 WASHINGTON DC 20001
• Use the proper ZIP Code. ZIP Codes can be found at usps.com or by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS. Never guess at the ZIP Code. No ZIP Code is better than a wrong ZIP Code.
• Print the delivery and return addresses on the same side of the envelope or package.

Always use a return address. It tells the Postal Service where to return mail if it cannot be delivered.