USPS News: Philatelic Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2001
Stamp Release No. 01-077
2002 MENTORING A CHILD COMMEMORATIVE STAMP UNVEILED IN NEW YORK CITY
The National Mentoring Partnership National Recognition Event Hosts Stamp Unveiling Ceremony
WASHINGTON - A commemorative postage stamp titled "Mentoring a Child" was unveiled Nov. 1 by the U.S. Postal Service at The National Mentoring Partnership's 2001 Excellence in Mentoring banquet in New York City. More than 1,000 attendees applauded as Richard J. Strasser, chief financial officer and executive vice president of the Postal Service, and Tom Brokaw, NBC News, unveiled the stamp.
"We place a great deal of value on mentoring within the Postal Service," said Strasser. "The best way to prepare the new generation of leaders is for the current generation to guide, advise, and develop them.
"We're extremely proud of the Mentoring stamp," he continued. "Raising public awareness of mentoring will let the Postal Service help make a positive difference in the lives of thousands of young people."
Joining Strasser and Brokaw at the ceremony were Ray Chambers and Geoff Boisi, co-founders of The National Mentoring Partnership.
A tribute to the volunteering spirit of our nation, the Mentoring a Child stamp will be available nationwide following a First Day of Issue Ceremony to take place in January 2002 during National Mentoring Month. The Harvard Mentoring Project is spearheading National Mentoring Month in collaboration with The National Mentoring Partnership.
The National Mentoring Partnership, with headquarters in Alexandria, Va., is an advocate for the expansion of mentoring and mentoring initiatives nationwide and provides assistance to any individual or organization wanting to develop, operate, volunteer in or fund a mentoring program.
Designed by Lance Hidy, the 34-cent self-adhesive stamp features a striking design that conveys the benefits of mentoring. His computer-generated artwork depicts an adult offering guidance to a child. The type on the stamp reads "Mentoring a Child" at the top and "Values o Goals o Skills" at the bottom.
Hidy is known for his work in poster design, printmaking, photography, typography and illustration. "The Garden" by Andrew Marvell, a hand-made book with etchings that Hidy produced was chosen by New York's Grolier Club as one of the 100 most beautiful books of the century. As art director and designer, Hidy worked closely with Ansel Adams on his last book, "Yosemite and the Range of Light." This is Hidy's first project for the Postal Service. Derry Noyes of Washington, D.C., was the art director.
To see the Mentoring a Child stamp, visit the Postal Service Web site at www.usps.com and locate the online version of this press release by clicking on "News and Events" then "Philatelic News."
Current U.S. stamps, as well as a free comprehensive catalog, are available by calling 1 800 STAMP-24. In addition, a selection of stamps and other philatelic items are available in the Postal Store at www.usps.com.
For more information on mentoring or National Mentoring Month, visit The National Mentoring Partnership at www.mentoring.org or The Harvard Mentoring Project at http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/Organizations/chc/web/mentoring.html
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For 226 years, the United States Postal Service has been the gateway to the household, binding friends, families and neighbors together. It is an independent federal agency that handles 46 percent of the world's mail volume, with annual revenues of $65 billion. The Postal Service is not funded with taxpayer dollars, but derives its revenues solely from the sale of postage and other products and services it provides. Through its unrivaled service network, the Postal Service delivers money, messages and merchandise daily to 135 million addresses, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world.
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