One of my fondest childhood memories is of checking the mailbox every morning for pen pal letters. The anticipation and excitement I felt as a child hasn’t lessened much now that I’m an adult and checking my mailbox is still a regular part of my weekly schedule, but now that the United States Postal Service (USPS) is facing budget cuts from the federal government, it’s possible that I and the many other Americans who rely on our mail service might lose it. 
It was initially my mom’s idea for me and my sister to sign up for pen pals. She said it was a good opportunity to broaden our perspectives and encounter cultures from around the world, though secretly I think it was just a ploy to get us to improve our handwriting. Soon enough, it was one of our favorite things to do. 
Not only was receiving mail super exciting as a kid, the actual letter writing process proved to be really cathartic and enjoyable and stuck with me even after I lost touch with my childhood pen pals. It became a kind of tradition in my friend group in high school. I wrote letters to my friends when I was stuck in a particularly boring class and made them cards for birthdays and holidays.
When I went away to college, the letters came with me. Even when my closest friends were thousands of miles away, it felt like they were right here with me. There’s an intimacy in letters that gets lost in texts and emails. Seeing someone’s handwriting — the unique swirls and loops — and knowing they set the time aside to put pen to paper, to find an envelope and buy stamps is deeply touching. 
Unfortunately, the USPS is in dire need of funding after sustaining significant losses during the pandemic. Unlike most government agencies, the USPS doesn’t run off of taxpayers’ money and instead runs solely off of profits from things like stamp sales and shipping fees.  
With a decrease in postage during the COVID-19 crisis, President Donald Trump staunchly opposing any emergency funding or bailouts and the apparent incompetency of the new Postmaster General Louis Dejoy, the USPS seems doomed.
The President has previously — and frequently – tweeted about mail-in voting being unreliable and fraught with fraudulence, so it really shouldn’t shock anyone to hear he’s against the USPS getting the funding it needs to handle the upcoming presidential election.
Just because he won’t assist this vital government agency, however, doesn’t mean it has to continue to suffer.
Whether you want to ensure your ability to mail-in vote this November or you just like writing letters, now is the best time to take advantage of the USPS online store, where you can buy stamps and even merchandise, including a super cute USPS crop top. 
And if you’re going to buy stamps, you might as well use them! This is a great way to reconnect with friends and family who are physically distant during the pandemic. If you can’t visit your grandparents, send them a letter instead. Drop mom’s birthday card in the mail. Write a letter to your friend across the country that you haven’t seen in months.
Stamps aren’t usually that expensive, but there are other options to help the USPS without spending any money at all: by signing petitions, spreading awareness on social media and calling your representatives — or, if you really want to stay on the message, by sending them letters instead. 
Saving the USPS might not seem like a major deal to the majority of college students in America right now, but keep in mind that losing the postal service means losing access to one of the safest and most important modes of communication we have left.
Your friend, 
Marie
Marie Plunkett is a 21-year-old classical studies senior from New Orleans, LA.