College of
Business
Administration
College of
Business
Administration
GROUP MEMBERS:Ana FloresEXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Shaun Macatee
Isela Robles
Yvonne SaundersThe objective of the project was to collect and distribute undeliverable periodicals, publications, and merchandise samples collected from various post offices, to designated charitable organizations. This community outreach project was proposed and justified in accordance with the Postal Operations Manual sections 691.531 and 691.533.
After a guided tour of the Margaret L. Sellers Processing and Distribution Center, which exposed us to some of the items that might be available for donation, we were better able to organize our action plan. Initially, the proposed participants would have included post offices throughout the San Diego District, but after meeting with the Manager of Post Office Operations (MPO), she approved that a target group be worked with instead. Each post office, within the targeted group, was then contacted directly. After overcoming a number of obstacles, the project received the cooperation and involvement from these six San Diego City and County post offices: Chula Vista, El Cajon, Escondido, Imperial Beach, National City, Oceanside.
After receiving approval and cooperation from the U.S. Postal Service, we then implemented the second phase of our action plan. This phase consisted of gaining the participation of charitable, non-profit, organizations. Various organizations were contacted by group members. Each organization was introduced to the project, made aware of the Postal Operations regulations, and asked to submit a general letter of interest. Several organizations chose not to participate, each with different reasons. We did however receive cooperation from the following organizations: Alpha of San Diego, New Alternatives, Auntie Helen's, Christie's Place.
A project like this could impact society in many ways. We felt that these items given to the proper organizations would help provide for people in need. Many of these organizations are in need of such essentials like shampoo, deodorant, and laundry soap. These items are routinely discarded as undeliverable mailroom waste. This project if successfully implemented could spark changes in employee attitudes or corporate culture within the U. S. Postal Service. Another goal was to provide at least a use loop in these items before their eventual discard. Given that these products already exist our project only dealt with how they may be better made use of. If cooperativeness and charity are virtues than this way of handling the items is more ethically correct than simply discarding them. The benefits they could provide outweigh the logistical costs of reorganizing the way these undeliverable items are managed by the postal service.
We feel that we were very successful in organizing and implementing this social change project. We would like to emphasize that this project provided a permanent, long term link between the U.S. Postal Service and these charitable organizations. We hope the project will grow, to include as many post offices as possible. The social impact of a nationally implemented program such as this would be tremendous.
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