Refugee Mail

[editor]

The refugees are going to be in Houston for a while.

The Postal Service plans to set up a post office at the Astrodome for them -- with its own ZIP code.

Hopefully we'll hear more about it in the near future.

[editor]

HOUSTON (AP) - New Orleans mail has been diverted to Houston,

and refugees nationwide can restart mail service from the post

office nearest where they are staying, the U.S. Postal Service said

Friday.

People can resume their mail service by filling out a

change-of-address form at a nearby post office, said Cliff Rucker,

Houston district manager for the Postal Service.

Mail is being held in trailers and vans in Houston, and the post

office will distribute mail as it receives new information on

addressees, Rucker said.

In addition, a general-delivery ZIP code - 77230 - has been set

up for the more than 11,000 refugees at the Astrodome.

Astrodome refugees will get mail that has their name, a

"general delivery" designation and the special ZIP code. Those

staying in other shelters can have mail forwarded to the shelter,

Rucker said.

Officials said they would prefer for recipients to have

identification, and they are working on creating some form of ID

for refugees who don't have it.

Officials said refugees can call 800-ASK-USPS (275-8777) for

assistance.

[citykid09]

The people left homeless by the storm don't like to be called refugees. I saw it on CNN earlier and they want the word to be spread.