POST OFFICE ENCOURAGES CHILDREN TO WRITE LETTERS

The United States Post Office wants everyone, especially children, to write more letters.

To promote this, National Card and Letter-Writing Week is Sept. 22-28.

"It is a nationwide program to promote letter writing," said Larry Shafer, marketing account representative of the Cape Girardeau Post Office.

Shafer said the U.S. Post Office wants to stamp out illiteracy. "Letter writing can help children learn the value of letters," he said. "They can learn to use proper spelling, grammar and to be clear and concise."

A Pen Pal Club is another way the U.S. Post Office is encouraging children to write letters.

Children, ages 6-18, can join the U.S. Postal Olympic Pen Pal Club and meet someone from a different country who is the same age.

"The program is tied in with the U.S. Post Office being an Olympic sponsor," Shafer said.

Children receive an Official U.S. Postal Service Olympic Pen Pal Club membership kit. The kit includes: stationary, envelopes, a note pad, calendar, membership card, badge, an official Club door sign, a photo holder, a Club newsletter every three months and a coloring book that helps children learn how to write to their new pen pal.

There is a $5.95 fee to join the club, but the fee covers the cost of obtaining the name of a pen pal and receiving the membership kit.

Children who join the club will be computer matched according to age and gender with a child from another country. Pen pal names are coming from Australia, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway and Singapore.

The program is designed to support the U.S. Postal Service literacy program and to promote the wholesome educational aspects of letter writing, to help establish new friendships between children of different cultures and to encourage the hobby of stamp collecting.

The post office is offering membership into the pen pal club until Dec. 31, 1992.

For an application call or visit the Cape Girardeau Post Office or write to U.S. Postal Service Olympic Pen Pal Club, P.O. Box 23990, Washington, D.C. 20026-3990.

Also, the Cape Post Office is trying to get area schools involved in the Wee Deliver Program. "This program sets up miniature post offices in elementary schools," said Shafer. "The program can help children learn how the post office works."

Shafer said the post office would help the schools set up the program. He said the Wee Deliver Program is still in the planning stage.

Any area school that is interested in the Wee Deliver Program can contact Shafer the Cape Girardeau Post Office at 335-5501.