Post office to reach out during holidays to aid those in need
The United State Post Office is offering a plethora of holiday themed events starting today.
Like years past, the events are aimed at helping the less fortunate of Lee County, as well as educating postal users to the advantages of new shipping technologies available online.
Postmaster Anne Murray and her employees are hoping to deliver a happy holiday for underprivileged children in the community by ringing bells for the Salvation Army’s red kettle campaign at the Edison Mall from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
USPS’s Debra Mitchell said the postmaster will attend the kettle from 11 a.m.-noon, hoping to inspire her fellow postal workers to donate some of their time to the Salvation Army’s kettle campaign throughout the holidays.
“What we’re hoping is each of our employees will arrange to do a kettle someplace, at some time,” Mitchell said. “Right now the Salvation Army is scrambling. If they don’t get enough volunteers, they have to pay people to ring the bells, and that takes away money they could use for their various programs.”
On Dec. 6, Lee County letter carriers will help the Marine Corp. League’s Toys for Tots toy drive by collecting toys on their routes.
Those looking to donate toys simply have to leave the new unopened donations by the mailbox, and the carriers will pick them up.
For those who might feel uncomfortable leaving toys outside, they will have an opportunity to donate them in person at the Cape Coral Central Post Office from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday during the “Holiday Happening” program.
Kids will be able to write letters and Christmas wish lists to Santa — to which each kid will receive a personal reply from the jolly man himself — while parents will have the chance to learn about the USPS’s Click and Ship online program, in which all holiday shipping needs can be taken care of from home.
“We’ll show them how easy it is,” Mitchell said. “People can sit at home in their slippers and ship all their holiday packages. We’ll even pick them up.”