By Betsy Scheinbart
U.S. Postal Service officials Friday lauded the generosity of the employees at the Springfield Gardens Post Office, who collectively raised the most money of all the southeast Queens stations for the service’s annual charity drive.
In recognition of their efforts, Jamaica’s new postmaster, Jim Burns, and other U.S. Postal Service executives treated Springfield Gardens workers to a breakfast celebration at the station Friday.
The 50 employees of the Springfield Gardens Post Office raised more than $9,694 for the city’s Combined Federal Campaign. Postal workers made donations to a charitable organization they chose from a list of about 1,000 charities in the New York metropolitan area.
Half of the money raised in the citywide charitable campaign comes from postal workers, said Lily Jung, the Postal Service’s district manager for Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and part of Long Island.
“We pride ourselves in our employees being very generous,” Jung said. “The ones who make the least actually contribute the most.”
Springfield Gardens employees raised more than the other 20 stations in the Jamaica postal region, which along with the administrative offices, raised a total of $80,765.
Beatrice Hofman, manager of customer service at the Springfield Gardens Post Office, credited Shop Steward John Quesnell, a letter carrier who coordinated the drive, with the high returns.
“The shop steward has excellent leadership and is a very caring and wonderful person,” Hofman said of Quesnell.
Quesnell shrugged off the compliments and said he merely encouraged his co-workers to make contributions.
“There is always something someone can give,” Quesnell said, “They just need some encouragement. Many people are strapped for money, but I at least suggest they give to the Postal Relief Fund, which helps us.”
The fund helps postal employees who are in trouble because of a natural disasters.
Thomas Daniels, customer relations coordinator for the Jamaica Post Office, noted that the postal workers continued to make contributions to the Combined Federal Campaign despite the anthrax scare.
Frank Fazio, the manager for customer service in the Postal Service’s eastern division, said this was not the first time the Springfield Gardens station had raised the most money of all the Jamaica region stations.
“This is a beautiful outpouring of generosity from the Springfield Gardens station,” Fazio said. “This is the fourth or fifth year that they went above and beyond our expectations.”
Andrew Weiner, the president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, applauded the Springfield Gardens workers.
“There are a lot of caring people in this office,” Weiner said. “They realize that things are tough outside and they are working to help out.”
Reach reporter Betsy Scheinbart by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 138.
