TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
Visit the USPS Holiday Newsroom at about.usps.com/holidaynews for holiday tips, videos, and resources.
Mail carriers work tirelessly to deliver our correspondence and packages day in and day out—especially around the holidays. It can be rough out there for these postal employees, especially if their route is in an area where they experience a lot of inclement weather or other obstacles. If your mail carrier has been serving your neighborhood for a long time, you may get to know them on a more personal level. Whatever the situation is, it is not uncommon to feel inclined to gift them something for their efforts. Under federal regulations, mail carriers may receive gifts worth $20 or less. However, keep in mind they cannot accept cash, gift cards, or checks—anything that can be exchanged for cash. “Mail carriers love and appreciate food,” said Rutledge. “I have received cookies, brownies and even a bag of pecans straight from someone’s yard. The cards we receive also especially acknowledge all our hard work during this time of year and make us all feel very appreciated.”
Romans 12:6 in the Bible reminds us that “God, through Christ, has given each of us gifts to use for his glory” and the holidays can be a great time to use those gifts for that purpose—to shine the light of Jesus while bringing joy to others. Mail carriers do just that. They deliver joy daily. The mail carrier’s motto says, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” These days I think it is safe to add “global pandemic” and “holiday gift delivery” to the list of things that our loyal and hard-working postal employees are ready and willing to overcome in order to complete their rounds, and they are doing it with a smile. “What I like most about my job,” explained Rutledge, “are the friendships I have made over the years with my customers and the opportunity I have had to serve my community.
cover photo by Matt Cornelius
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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