A message from the Executive Director,
I pray that you are all well. I offer this message to explain a very specific challenge that has affected our ability to receive and process donations and it is important that I share it.
Over the past seven months, our Donations Processing Team has recognized a significant degradation in the mail delivery service offered by the United States Postal Service (USPS). As a result, we have seen that about 21% of the first-class mail that we receive on a daily basis, is delayed somewhere between two to eight weeks and in some cases, over three months. Just this week, we received six donation envelopes postmarked between June and August of this year.
While the delays were initially minor, it appears that time has only aggravated, not improved the timely delivery of our mail. Despite our own multiple investigations into this situation, we have yet to receive recognition from the local post office that a problem even exists, which is very frustrating. We have, however, identified several sources that clearly indicate the presence of a problem within the post office. The links below are provided to validate, if only in a small way, our current mail delivery dilemma. Please take a moment to read them.
Office of Inspector General Report (dated August 13, 2015)
Congressional Letter to the Office of Inspector General (dated September 10, 2015)
Washington Post Article on Post Office Delivery Delays (dated August 26, 2015)
As the Executive Director, your trust in this ministry is my primary concern. While there are some things currently outside of our control, I would like to assure you of the following three points with regards to our own mail handling and donation processing policy:
1. Every work day, a staff member retrieves our letter mail from our local post office box.
2. Every donation received, is processed and deposited electronically on the date received.
3. Foreign currency checks are typically cashed at our local bank within 48 hours of receipt.
In closing, I would like to personally apologize to each and every one of you inconvenienced by this unfortunate situation and I ask for your continued patience and understanding as we seek its resolution. Your confidence and trust in Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage is very important to us and we humbly thank you for making our ministry of hope a reality for so many.
Together in Christ,
Ben De La Riva