Most of us live in our own houses. When we move to a
temporary address (when we go to Florida for the winter, for example), we let
the post office know, and the post office forwards our first class mail to us. Although
our newsletter is sent bulk mail, the post office forwards it just like first
class mail, because we use the magic words “Forwarding Service Requested” below
the return address on the newsletter.
We recently learned, however, that it doesn’t work
that way for those of us who live in retirement communities. Our newsletter is handled like first class
mail in being sent to the retirement community’s mail room. From there, it’s up
to the mail room to distribute mail to the community’s residents. If they were to forward our newsletters, they
would have to provide a new label, cover the bar code, and put on the
appropriate postage.
So, if those of us who live in a retirement community
want to have our newsletter forwarded to our temporary address, it’s important
to see if and how our mail room will do that. And, if not, whether they
will hold newsletters for our return.
One of our Willow Valley residents recently wrote from
Florida to ask that we change our database to his temporary Florida address. We could do this but the onus will be on the
member to keep the chapter informed of each address change. Our experience is that members forget to pass
on any address change. Easiest
solution would be for each member to check with their mail room to see how
newsletters are handled.