Several Postal Service customers had newsworthy interactions with the mail this year.
Tom Brady, this year’s Super Bowl MVP, sent a letter to the parents of Calvin Riley, a college athlete who died unexpectedly.
Another letter was credited with helping Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Sidney Jones get drafted to the NFL despite suffering an injury.
The power of mail was also demonstrated by Appalachian Wildlife Refuge, an Asheville, NC-based nonprofit organization that was deluged with packages after it posted a social media request for old mascara wands to clean rescued animals.
Other customers who demonstrated their appreciation for postal people and products included actress Amy Sedaris, who took to the pages of the Village Voice to praise her local Post Office, and Mary Parker, a Springdale, AR, French teacher whose stamp knowledge helped her compete on “Jeopardy!”
Then there’s Etta Hitner, a Nashwauk, MN, customer who calls almost a dozen Post Offices close to her home every Friday morning to wish employees well.
Employees say they look forward to hearing from Hitner, who has been making the weekly calls for about 10 years.
“I just thought it was a nice thing to do,” she said.
The Link archive has more customer stories from 2017.