Every year, a small Connecticut nonprofit called Boxes to Boots does something incredibly simple and incredibly kind: They pack up snacks, toiletries, and little comforts from home for U.S. service members spending the holidays overseas. It’s the sort of tradition that makes you feel good about the world again … or at least it was until the USPS came in like the Grinch with a barcode scanner, kicked over the Christmas tree, and walked away.
What Went Wrong With the Shipments?
Three weeks ago, Boxes to Boots shipped 1,139 care packages. The team raised $75,000 to make it happen, and they paid roughly $10,000 just in shipping. The boxes were clearly labeled and correctly coded, according to organizers. But when they hit New York, more than 800 packages were flagged by U.S. Customs and sent back by USPS. Not delayed. Not rerouted. Returned to sender.
A total of 884 packages reappeared on the nonprofit’s doorstep like sad little boomerangs. Some were lost entirely. Meanwhile, 255 identical boxes made it through without a problem. Aren’t inconsistencies without rational reasoning the best way to say, “Merry Christmas?”
The USPS Explanation
USPS says the issue came down to “incomplete forms.” Most rejected boxes had the word “toiletries” circled on the customs label, which is suddenly too vague for today’s stricter international rules. The Postal Service now requires hyper-specific descriptions and a matching tariff code for every item. Boxes to Boots insists they included the required six-digit codes on all shipments. Still, a USPS spokesperson emphasized that generic terms can prevent USPS from detecting possible export violations.
Now What?
This isn’t just a shipping hiccup. These packages are a lifeline for service members spending the holidays far from home. Boxes to Boots president Kristen Gauvin said one soldier reached out weeks ago, saying he was struggling on his first deployment and was looking forward to the care package for support. His box — and hundreds like it — is now sitting on a warehouse floor in Connecticut.
For its part, the nonprofit has looped in U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, who publicly urged USPS to “find and deliver” the missing packages and sort out the conflicting guidance around tariff codes. But even with political pressure, there’s no getting around the timeline: the holidays move faster than bureaucracy, and hundreds of service members who were supposed to receive a little comfort from home won’t get it this year.
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