Postal Service employees across the nation are busy accepting, processing and delivering the last batch of holiday mail and packages.
The organization expects to deliver almost 15 billion pieces of mail and 900 million packages during the 40-day stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. USPS will be open for business Christmas Eve, and employees will make Christmas Day package deliveries in select locations.
Employees are determined to finish strong.
“It’s a challenge … to keep up with all the packages, but the customers appreciate our dedicated employees’ efforts, and that makes it all worthwhile,” said Johnetta Gilleylen, a city carrier assistant at the New Baltimore, MI, Post Office.
In addition to moving the mail, employees are spending the final days of this peak season helping to promote Operation Santa, a program that allows USPS employees and customers to fulfill the holiday wishes of families in need.
Employees are also promoting the Postal Service at community events and during appearances in the news media.
Even though this is the busiest time of year, many employees haven’t lost their holiday spirit.
Alan Cunningham, a Wichita, KS, letter carrier, has been delivering holiday mail and packages for 53 years.
Which holiday season has been his favorite?
“All of them,” he said. “All 53 of them.”
