On Monday, millions of Americans and people across the world will honor Dr. King’s legacy through community volunteering. UPS is proud to be based in Dr. King’s hometown of Atlanta.

UPS’s founder, Jim Casey, shared Dr. King’s commitment for community service. Jim and his siblings founded the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) in 1948 to honor their mother, who struggled to raise the family as a young widow. Financed by Jim’s personal fortune, AECF serves as an advocate for at-risk children and families.

Every day, UPSers are out in our communities serving others. Whether it’s delivering packages, providing logistics support to disaster relief efforts or volunteering at a local school … being a part of a community means being involved in the community. In 2010, UPSers and their family members contributed more than 1.2 million hours of volunteer time. Dr. King’s legacy is not simply limited to one day of service … every day is an opportunity to serve.

How will you serve?

The following video profiles UPS manager Terry Brown, who was recognized for his volunteerism with the 2011 UPS Casey Award.

How do you travel for 6 weeks to 25 different cities and fit luggage for me and my mom, and all the goodies we’ve purchased along the way in a 1999 Chevy Prism? The simple answer is: you don’t.

My mom and I traveled around the country on The Smoothest Road Trip Ever.  During the promotional tour, I shared my story about how I started my skincare company, Simple Sugars, with young girls and college students with the hope of inspiring them to follow their dreams.

I started the company in 2005 when I was  11-years-old and my mom decided we would have a homemade Christmas. She insisted my brothers and I make the holiday gifts we wanted to give to family and friends. So I made body scrubs with pure sugar and all-natural oils. I have very sensitive skin and have never been able to use commercially produced products without experiencing skin irritations. I decided to make an all-natural product that would be safe for very sensitive skin like mine – one that would be fun to use and smell great, too.  That’s how Simple Sugars was born!  I know, simple, right?

My business has grown a lot over the years but I want more people to learn about it so I hit the road.  My ’99 Prism, also known as The Simple Sugars Super Smooth Mobile, and I logged 9,782 miles. (I just arrived back home in Pittsburgh last night as I write this).

Since the trip required a lot of stuff, and a Chevy Prism isn’t necessarily the roomiest car on the road, I had to figure out how to transport all of our materials. We needed product samples and display signs, tables, t-shirts, our clothes and (my shoes!!)  Plus, we picked up a few items along the way. Well, maybe more than a few, I mean it’s not every day you get to travel around the country right?

The problem was logistics – But I know my shipping partner and one of the sponsors of the smooth trip – UPS loves logistics. I am a pretty expert car-packer by now, if I must say so myself, but even I couldn’t squeeze one more thing into the car by the time we hit Minneapolis.  Well, unless I kicked my mom out – this was not an option even after six weeks of togetherness.

The solution was to use UPS to ship the materials to us at various points along our route. We picked up boxes at The UPS Store locations in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Seattle and Minneapolis and used UPS Next Day Air®, and UPS 3 Day Select®.   We also shipped presents for my family and some of the mementos I acquired along the way back home to Pittsburgh using UPS Ground.

I’ve met so many great people, made some business connections, eaten ridiculously delicious food in some of the greatest cities in the world and seen so much of the beautiful landscape of this country.  In a word, this experience has been awesome! The smoothest road trip ever!

Stay Smooth.

Remember when Tom Hanks was in comedies? Ah, good. I see a few hands at the back. One of his most famous was “Big.” You know the one. Little boy makes a wish at a penny arcade machine to be an adult and wakes up as Tom Hanks, who then gets a job at a toy company.

In the film, Hanks is in a meeting where this guy is pitching a line of transforming toys that turn from skyscrapers into robots. Hanks tells the guy the idea is boring because no kid wants to play with a building. Now, I don’t know if what I’m about to say makes UPS boring or geeky, but we really enjoy playing with buildings. There’s a lot of stuff you can do with them. In fact, we’ve been playing with our corporate office since it was built in Atlanta, Ga., in 1994.

Our corporate office, despite being almost 20 years old, has earned Gold Status certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as well as the Energy Star stamp of approval for energy efficiency.  You might wonder how a two-decade-old structure could hope to stay ecologically friendly. Well, let me give you the Behind the Music treatment on this one.

The UPS Corporate Office started life way ahead of its time. While every other new office complex in the 1990s was clear cutting forests on its way to short-term glory, the footprint of the UPS headquarters was carefully cut out of the forest so that only six of the 35 acres on the property were impacted. The rest remain untouched Piedmont Forest to this day, including a natural brook that was preserved. The trees begin a mere 15 feet from the building on all sides. If our windows opened, I could probably touch one with a pool cue.    

The roof decks of the complex are made from Albedo concrete, which unlike tar reflects the sunlight to keep cooling costs down in those hot Georgia summers. Concrete sun shading and tinted exterior windows further reduce energy costs.

In the years since, UPS’s engineers have continually come up with other innovations to keep the building on the forefront of efficiency. Plumbing fixtures have been upgraded since 2005, reducing the building’s water usage by 39 percent. Lighting throughout the complex is fully automated to conserve power during off hours, and UPS engineers continually document the building’s energy efficiency!

So, Mr. Hanks, say what you want about playing with buildings, but they are far from boring. The rewards a lot more than “big,” they are epic!

For years, I’ve worked behind the scenes on behalf of The UPS Foundation to coordinate the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) National Wheelchair Games.  Coordination for this event has always been a delight.  However, nothing truly compares to attending the Games with UPS volunteers, athletes, caregivers, family and friends of athletes, coaches and healthcare team members.  The excitement and energy from a host of supporters, the spirit of courage and determination from over 600 athletes and confidence that emanates from coaches are all too much to contain in one city! 

PVA was founded in 1946 to assist with a wide variety of issues involving the special needs of armed forces veterans who have experienced spinal cord injury or dysfunction.  Since 1988 UPS has provided more than $800,000 in funding as well as our logistical expertise to support the annual Wheelchair Games and PVA programs that benefit veterans with spinal cord injuries. 

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games is a multi-event sports and rehabilitation program for military service veterans who use wheelchairs for sports competition due to spinal cord injuries, amputation or certain neurological programs.  Each year, over 600 novice and experienced athletes along with their caregivers, family, friends and corporate sponsors convene for a week of competition in more than 15 events.  Many participants are inspired by their participation in the Games and go on to compete at higher levels.  Others find a new confidence and self-esteem that eventually leads to employment and success in other facets of their lives.

UPS employees stepped up and showed how much they cared for our nation’s injured veterans, with 122 UPS employees, family and friends investing more than 1,400 volunteer hours this year to stage the games.

Undoubtedly, the games inspired participating athletes to face and overcome fear with courage, demonstrate unbelievable strength versus succumbing to weaknesses and to persevere when faced with great obstacles.  The athletes were there to win!  In watching their pursuit of victory, I matured in knowledge of our support for injured veterans.  Additionally, after spending one week at the Games I recognized that I had been in the presence of authentic courage, strength and determination.  No words can ever express how grateful I am to work for a company that deeply cares about our communities.

Tis’ the season to give – receive – and now return. The National Retail Federation estimates shoppers will return more than $46 billion in merchandise this year – that’s up almost 10 percent from two years ago.

Returns season is in full swing at UPS. Today consumers will return more than 500,000 packages!  It’s so many, we’re calling it National Returns Day. Just like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we now have a self-proclaimed, unofficial holiday.

With the rise in online shopping this year more people are returning those gifts they couldn’t try on or touch before Christmas. The math is easy: more online shopping = more returns. Many retailers now offer free return shipping, making it even easier for consumers to swap wrong sizes and colors. Today’s deluge of returns will keep our drivers busy delivering just as many packages back to retailers on January 6, 2012.

Want to know everything you’ve always wanted to know about returns? You’re invited to our @UPS #HolidayReturns Twitter parties to learn tips for hassle-free returns. Join the first party at 1 p.m. EST.  Blogger Melissa Dawn Lierman (@TimeOutMom) will moderate and the experts from @TheUPSStore will offer helpful shipping advice. 

Party 2 party takes place from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST. We’ll chat about gift returns success stories and ideas to take the hassle out of returns throughout the year.

Don’t forget to stop by each party for a chance to win great prizes, including a $100 gift card from Zappos who just happens to have a great returns policy. It’s easy – just include the party hashtag #HolidayReturns in your tweets.

Read more for complete rules on the prize drawings: afternoon party rules, evening party rules.

Here’s wishing you Happy Returns in 2012!

Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock. The sound of aged wood and brass chime in their package, waiting to be opened and displayed.

These antique beauties eagerly await their turn to proudly sit on the mantle of their new owner’s fireplace. Fragile and beautiful, the clocks from Old Timers Antique Clocks travel across the country, arriving safely to their new homes unscathed and ready for the new year.

For more than 20 years, Kenneth and Susan Markley, owners of Old Timers Antique Clocks, have been buying and selling shelf and tall case floor clocks from all over the world. Visit their website and you will find many American, Dutch, German, French and English antique clocks in excellent condition and ready to trade.

“When we first entered into a relationship with Antique Networking, we had no idea what our business would become,” Kenneth Markley said. “Now, with scores of ‘hits’ every day, our website sales are beyond our fondest dreams and have placed us among the leading antiques clock dealers in the nation.”

Due to the growing demand for their clocks, the Markley’s head to The UPS Store on 4900 Carlisle Pike in Mechanicsburg, Penn., where franchisee Tim Elder and his crew carefully pack and ship the clocks to their new homes.

“Throughout the years, we have shipped our clocks using Tim Elder’s The UPS Store center,” Kenneth Markley said. “Tim professionally packs each clock himself, using double-boxing to make sure every piece is delivered safely. Their expertise in careful and appropriate packing has resulted in flawless results through the years. To date, Tim and his staff have packed and shipped more than 800 clocks for us and in 2012, we hope to ship many more!”

After a decade of shipping clocks with Tim and his team, the Markley’s have become a part of The UPS Store family. The Markley’s even have their own tally sheet in the back office to keep track of every clock they ship.

“The Markley’s are like an institution here,” Elder said. “When Ken comes in, everyone gets excited to see what type of antique clock we’ll be shipping since many of them require custom made boxes. We look forward to using our experience and creativity to pack each and every clock in such a way that it arrives in perfect condition.”

Obviously, the Markleys’ Old Timers Antique Clocks and Tim Elder’s The UPS Store location are living up to our favorite motto: small business helping small business. Keep on tickin’ into 2012!

Recently there have been videos circulating on the Web showing drivers from various delivery companies, including UPS, mishandling packages. Some of these videos have even been used as comedic fodder for late night talk shows. But at UPS, this kind of conduct is no laughing matter. Throwing a package is inexcusable and UPS does not tolerate it under any circumstances.

And even though the videos are very hard to watch, we genuinely want to know when we fall short of delivering on our promise of providing perfect service to our customers.

UPS is first and foremost a service company. When we fail in our mission, we look at the cause and take corrective steps to address it without delay. With regard to UPS employees not treating our customers’ shipments with care and respect, those corrective steps can include terminating from employment anyone who isn’t living up to the high professional standards we have set for ourselves. 

This week alone, UPS expects to deliver in excess of 120 million packages worldwide, but we consider every shipment as if it’s the only one we have to deliver – whether it’s during our peak holiday shipping season or any other time of year.

We understand the unique trust our customers place in us and we are committed to do whatever is necessary to ensure we remain worthy of that trust day in and day out, the whole year through.

UPSers from around the world recently were asked how they make the holidays sweeter. Here’s what some of them had to say.

John – Kentucky

Telling someone who is working at a gas station or restaurant that I appreciate what they do.

Leslie – Texas

I take in baked goods to my mother’s nursing home where she has been an Alzheimer’s patient for nearly nine years. It is very good to see their faces light up when they get something special for them. Some of these patients rarely get visitors.

Chi Wah Kwok – Hong Kong, China

Enjoying time with my loved ones.

Velma – South Carolina

What touches my heart is when I bake for someone who has nobody to care for them anymore; seeing the smile on their faces when I knock on their door with a plate of baked goodies. WOW! My heart skips a beat when I see their eyes light up with hope again, after thinking they had been forgotten. This is one of my reasons for baking for the season.

Eamon – Pennsylvania

In our house we make the holidays sweeter by not forgetting the little ones. Our dogs are so often overlooked when we make ourselves all these nice treats. We make doggie cookies and such to help them feel the holiday spirit.

Rene – Netherlands

Reaching out to the less fortunate around should be part of everyone’s December holidays. It will make you and the other warmer during the cold days.

Jennifer – Indiana

My husband, kids, and I, have a tradition each Christmas Eve. We all sit together in our family room and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.” My children are not put off by the fact that the movie is in black and white either. They love it. We eat the cookies we had all baked and decorated together while the movie. It is just so wonderful to be all together creating these memories for our children to cherish.

Brenda – Kentucky

I always remember to help UPS sprinkle a little extra brown sugar on every batch of packages, measuring delivery time perfectly, never being a cookie-cutter company, and using all the right ingredients in the dough to grow the business.

Raquel – Sao Paulo, Brazil

Baking sugar cookies is a family tradition.

John – Arizona

It’s hard to make the holidays sweeter in tough times like this when you are trying to scrape by and provide for your family. I like to bake cookies with my kids to give out to family members as an inexpensive way to show our love for them. I’m not sure where I would be if it wasn’t for UPS. I am very grateful for the job I have. There are too many families out of work right now.

Rachel – New Jersey

Unfortunately, I lost my home to Hurricane Irene and will be spending the holidays in a hotel. I will make it sweeter by giving to families and children in need. My life will eventually go back to normal, but a lot of theirs will not. You always must give to those in need because one day you may be the one asking others for help.

Balpreet – Mississauga, Ontario

Love is the primary ingredient in having the perfect holiday. Give to those in need and don’t think about what you receive.

How do you make the holidays sweeter?

The holidays are the perfect season to upgrade to UPS My Choice Premium Membership! Available to customers across the United States, UPS My Choice helps avoid the disappointment and hassle of missing a home delivery by giving YOU control of how UPS will deliver those tasty gingerbread cookies from Aunt Sally the day before they arrive.

Premium Membership has it privileges…

Q: I have to pick up my Christmas tree and holiday décor to deck the halls. Can I select what time my package will be delivered?

A: No problem, UPS provides an approximate 4-hour delivery time, but by upgrading to Premium Membership you have the flexibility of a 2-hour Confirmed Delivery Window.

What’s more, you can have peace of mind by providing “leave at” instructions so that your driver knows where to safely place you package.

Q: What if I needed to reroute package so that my spouse can pick it up?

A: You’ve got options! Have the package delivered to The UPS Store retail location nearest you, to another address or reschedule delivery at a time that’s convenient for your spouse. It’s that easy.

No one knows better than Joe Montana that timing is everything. Check it out!

Go to www.ups.com/mychoice/pr today and sign up to become a UPS My Choice Member or upgrade to Premium Membership.

The holidays can be a whirlwind of gift buying and wrapping, decorating and eating. Before you have a meltdown, check out these last-minute packing and shipping tips and know that you can ship as late as Dec. 23 for delivery on Dec. 24. And remember, The UPS Store is open later during the holidays to take care of your last-minute packing and shipping needs.

Shipping something fragile? We can help.

Help is just around the corner. The UPS Store certified packing experts can properly package gifts that are fragile, such as glass and cookies. They can help you professionally pack your items as well as let you know of any rules and regulations for shipping certain things. For example, did you know that perfume and cologne are considered hazardous materials?

Using a proper shipping box matters.

Resist the temptation to pack your gifts in those old boxes from last year and to use materials like newspaper or real popcorn to cushion them. Boxes weaken during the shipping process, so reusing a box will not provide proper protection for your shipment. Use professional packing materials like foam packaging peanuts, bubble cushioning and professional packaging tape to help avoid any risk of your gift being damaged. Be sure to include a copy of the shipping label inside the shipping box with both the destination and return addresses.

The Pack & Ship Promise.

Keep in mind that participating The UPS Store locations offer the Pack & Ship Promise, which will reimburse you the item’s value, the full retail price you paid for packaging materials and services, and your cost for shipping (excluding Declared Value charges) in the event an item, packed by The UPS Store and shipped via UPS, is lost or damaged. Get details about this service as certain restrictions and limitations may apply.

Here are a few other great ways to safely get those packages to your loved ones:

• Use a shipping option that provides a package-tracking number. You can see where your package is at all times, eliminating the need to call your family for the third time to check if it has arrived.

• Take batteries out of any toys, electronics, etc. before shipping them.

• Ship wrapped presents to your destination, before you travel so that the perfect bow you meticulously worked on for a good 10 minutes will stay just as beautiful as when you tied it.

• Avoid wrapping boxes in brown paper or tying them with string. You don’t want your package getting caught or torn, especially because if the paper is torn off, so is your label.

• Don’t use duct tape, masking tape or cellophane tape to seal your boxes for shipping. Packaging tape is the only way to go.

• Once all of the packing is done, you can recycle any leftover packaging peanuts at participating The UPS Store locations.