The mission of the United States Postal Service is:
"The Postal Service shall have as its basic function the obligation to provide postal services to bind the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. It shall provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and shall render postal services to all communities."
The motto of the United State Postal Service is:
"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
Sheree Gooden lives this mission and motto day in and day out. She personifies this commitment and more than fulfills her obligation to every business she works with. In the face of today's unique adversity, she has never lived this commitment more than now.
Allegiance started working with Sheree when we moved into our first warehouse. From the beginning, she was there to make us feel comfortable and to give us peace of mind that our precious flags would land in the hands of our eager customers. Shipping was easier at first because we didn’t have as many packages and they were mainly concentrated across the Southeast. However, as Allegiance continued to grow, so did the demand for shipping. We quickly went from shipping across our Southeastern backyard to all across our country. Now having shipped to all 50 states, it's opened our eyes to this process and we've realized just how essential the role of USPS is to our success. Sheree is on the front lines and is the first step to ensure our packages are heading in the right direction.
A native of Savannah, GA, Sheree is no stranger to commitment. Sheree served our country in the U.S. Navy for many years before becoming a US Postal employee. She traveled the world serving in our military and it was during that service where she developed her attention to detail and knack for doing things the right way. She has been a constant in our growth. She is always there to help us direct and load packages. She often stays late or makes special routing changes for us, just to make sure these packages get to their intended destination in the shortest amount of time possible.
COVID-19 has presented a unique challenge to our country over the last 4 months. Among doctors, nurses and first responders, Postal Service employees are right there on the front lines doing their best to make sure this virus doesn't derail our country. Sheree, among many others, has been incredibly essential to this mission. She puts herself on the line everyday, constantly traveling our state, in and out of businesses all day long. When asked if she's scared about contracting COVID-19, she says "We have a job to do. I don't have time to be scared, we're not stopping". "We're taking all the proper precautions. Being as smart as possible and making sure your packages get where they need to go". Now more than ever, with so many Americans being forced to stay home and so many Americans ordering items online, the Postal Service has never been more valuable.
When asked about what we're actually shipping, Sheree's face lights up and she has great pride. "It's been amazing to watch Allegiance grow. They started in a small warehouse, now they're in a much larger one and sending out more packages than ever." "What is really amazing is that they're manufacturing and shipping the symbol of our country". She adds, "I take great pride in the fact that I play a part in getting these high quality flags out to their customers". "America has meant so much to the success I've found in my life, it's cool to play my part in the process and increase patriotism in these strange times."
We tell Sheree all the time, she might not be with us throughout the entire day, but she has become an integral part of our team. We've come to rely on her steady service and we know we couldn't do what we do without her help. She is no doubt a major piece to the Fabric of America.