‘I am so thankful to still be working during these trying times’

The United States Postal Service does so much more than deliver letters; medicines; packages; food and important documents. It facilitates the nation’s largest one-day food drive, employs more than 97,000 military veterans and more than 7.3 million people.

Postal employees go above and beyond through the Carrier Alert Program, alerting officials when they notice an unusual accumulation of the mail of older and disabled customers, who might be ill or need help. Zero tax dollars are used to support the USPS for operating expenses; it relies on the sale of postage, products and services for income.

The Chronicle interviewed mail carrier Shelby Conklin, who has a Whispering Hills route and lives in Montgomery with her husband and children.

What kind of changes have there been at the Post Office and when you deliver mail?

In the office, there’s been a lot of changes: we have to wear masks, a lot of people wear gloves. The office has supplied us with masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, wipes. We have to clean down our trucks every day; every morning and every night.

They put up a barrier in the office for the clerks; it’s just a shower curtain and they’re only allowing one customer in at a time.

How about when you’re handling the mail boxes? A lot of other people touch them. Do you wipe them off?

Not the boxes, but we do carry hand sanitizer and a lot of people wear gloves.

Do you use the hand sanitizer between mailboxes?

Not every box, but every time I take a break, or have a snack, or touch my water bottle. But between every box, that would be crazy, it’s just too much.

How about yourself, personally—what’s different in your home life?

My husband Bryant was furloughed - not paid, but the job will be there when he gets back. He was a dealer at Resorts World Casino. He’s had a lot of problems applying for unemployment. He spent about seven hours on the phone, just to get through. They ended up messing it up; he never got any back unemployment pay that he was supposed to get so we’re still working on it. He did get one payment

How about at home with the kids? Do you do anything different?

I take off my uniform and everything before I even go inside; nothing comes in, it goes right in the wash. I’m always cleaning the car. If the kids are going in my car I always clean it, because I’m getting in after work.

Has anybody been laid off from the Post Office?

No, we’re actually really busy right now; our parcel volume is higher than Christmas right now.

Have customers behaved differently?

People have been really nice; leaving me masks and bottles of hand sanitizer.

Anything else you’d like to say?

I just wanted to add that I’ve been with the Post Office Service for seven years and that I love my job and am so thankful to still be working during these trying times. I also want to say how proud I am of all my co-workers for the amazing jobs they are doing to get us through the pandemic.