#SaveTheUSPS

Save the USPS: A Small Business's Love Letter to An Essential American Institution

The U.S. Post Office Department launched airmail service in 1918 and over the course of more than 250 years, the U.S. Postal Service has gone through many shifts to keep up with technology and culture—including switching its focus from newspapers to letters to package delivery service. That flexibility has kept the institution relevant and solvent in the face of change. Today, the USPS is our nation’s most trusted institution.

The Raven Book Store was founded in 1987 as a mystery-specialty store, and it retains a strong mystery section to this day with additional specialites in fiction, poetry, current events, and environmental writing. Once one of several bookstores in Downtown Lawrence, the Raven survived a difficult period across the street from a Borders superstore and now is Lawrence's new general-interest bookstore.

In recent years, the Raven has become known for online small business advocacy through viral tweets, various mediaappearances, and a growing collection of activist zines. Raven owner Danny Caine recently released a 16-page zine serving as a quick introduction to the struggles facing the USPS and why it needs to be saved. Much is at stake when we discuss the future of the USPS, including live-saving medications, the democratic process, millions of jobs, and the fate of any small business trying to compete in the big-tech-dominated online marketplace. Each zine will be sent via USPS, and buying postage is the best way to support the USPS. Further, $1 from every retail sale of the zine will go to buying stamps which the Raven will distribute for free.

Get your copy from the Raven’s online store!

Personally, our Grandfather worked his entire career with the USPS after returning from WWII with a Purple Heart. The USPS supported his wife and children with the lifestyle necessities required by a hardworking, blue-collar Kansas family. We are proud of our postal workers and support them by shipping Kinfolk orders exclusively through the USPS!

Show your support for the USPS and small, local business by purchasing one of our super-cool #SaveTheUSPS stickers from the Raven in LFK. “Our USPS is First Class. Make it a Priority!”

– Kinfolk