Newsletter mailing

Vicky and Wijan wrote and did page layout for the newsletter. I love what they have done. Vicky really is a talented writer.

After we received the newsletter back to the printer, its my turn to go to work. The problem is I have never done any bulk mailing before. Luckily, Debra and Barbara already set up an account at the post office for our Non Profit bulk mailing. I do not have to go through the step again.

The morning of the mailing, I went to the post office and try to learn what do I need to do. It took me two tries to find the bulk mailing office. Turns out it was at the back of the main post office. I was in luck. The lady there was very kind and patient. She showed me the forms that I have to fill out. I have to find out how much each newsletter weight. I find out depends on how we bundle the newsletter we would get different rates. The cheapest rate is for those newsletter with barcodes and sent to the same zip. The kicker is to get that rate we have to have more than 150 newsletter to that zip.

She also showed me the different boxes that I need to put the newsletter in. How to seperate them or combine them. She showed me which box need to be tide and which do not. Lastly, she gave me some postal stickers for the boxes.

She even find my account number for me. She help me filling out the forms.

It was a quick lesson on bulk mailing.

I went to lunch with my wife. Bought some cookies and ice. Then head on to our JW House office.

By the time I got there, Vicky and Michelle were there already. Together there were other volunteers.

There are more than twenty of them. Rose Marie, Grant and his mother Ann, his two brothers, Rochelle, Dee Dee and her husband, four to five Kaiser volunteers, Mark, Jeanette, others from JW's church and of course Anne Marie and Alexander. I cannot remember all the names. We also forget asked every one to sign in.

We were able to place the stickers in each Newsletter in less than two hours. The problem was the task of seperating each Newsletter into zip code. Since this was the first time I had ever done this, I really do not know what to expect. The volunteer was very nice. No complaint. Later I found that I really do not need to seperate them into each zip code because I do not have 150 in each zip code anyway.

Later, I was advised that I should have sort the sticker first instead. This I would do the next time I do it again.

After all the volunteer left, I was really too compulsive. I and Vicky started to count the newsletter again. It took us some time. I really have to thank Vicky for sticking with me to the bitter end.

She help me with the boxes of Newsletter. I was able to get to the post office with plenty of time to spare.

The post men check the newsletters by opening one of them. They want to make sure these are not ads etc. He check the weight that I claimed-each newsletter weight 0.02 oz.

He showed me where to deposit my check.

My first bulk mailing was done. I hope you received our September Newsletter. If you like to received our next posting, please go to the JW House web site. There will be information as to how to contact us.

I want to thank all the volunteers for their help and patience.