While delivering mail recently in Lincoln, NE, Rural Carrier James Farnstrom noticed a familiar customer wandering around who appeared to be disoriented. Concerned that she may have been dehydrated, he gave her a bottle of water and struck up a conversation. Customer Services Supervisor Sharon Smock was conducting a driver observation nearby and soon joined … Read more
Rural Carrier Christopher Meskan was outside the Waterville, MN, Post Office recently loading mail for delivery when he saw a girl around the age of 3 wandering nearby. Seeing no sign of an adult and aware of hazards such as an adjacent bay, Meskan took the girl inside and police were called. The child couldn’t … Read more
A postal customer in Fuquay-Varina, NC, recently sought out help in a moment of crisis and found it when she went outside and saw Rural Carrier James Sutton approaching her door with a package. The woman told Sutton that her 86-year-old mother was inside and had suddenly become weak and unable to talk or move. … Read more
It was a hot day in Lubbock, TX, recently when Rural Carrier Eddie Santos noticed something amiss while delivering mail: He spotted a woman who seemed disoriented wandering around with a dog. The postal employee stopped to check on her, but apparently she did not speak English. He then enlisted the help of a nearby … Read more
Two postal customers in Berlin, MD, recently got the help they needed in an emergency from Rural Carrier Tamela Donaway. A man had seriously injured his hand while operating a bench lathe at home, and his wife — who was recovering from heart surgery — couldn’t come to his aid. She could, however, shout out … Read more
Rural Carrier Vanessa Beatty had just delivered a package to a customer’s home in Prosperity, PA, when she heard someone call out to her. The voice was faint but unmistakable: “Mail lady! Mail lady!” As Beatty looked around, she saw a hand waving frantically in the window of a horse trailer. The customer, who lives … Read more
A misstep on uneven pavement recently left a Ware, MA, postal customer injured and stranded for hours on a hot driveway in a secluded area where traffic is rare. Rural Carrier Nancy McKinstry was the first passerby following the woman’s fall, and she rushed to her side when she spotted her. McKinstry called the woman’s … Read more
The emaciated pony was out of hope, and almost out of time. Someone abandoned the animal on a roadside near Sanger, CA, earlier this year, along with a smattering of hay and fruit. But with a broken jaw, tooth damage and a leg injury, the animal had little will — and little ability — to … Read more
A recent hot day in Rehoboth, MA, caused an elderly customer to feel ill. He was in distress when Rural Carrier Kathryn Bennett encountered him while delivering mail, so she gave him a cold bottle of water and called for emergency assistance. She also phoned his daughter, who later stopped by the Post Office to … Read more
Maineville, OH, Rural Carrier Kimberly Mitchell was delivering mail recently at a condominium when she heard a faint cry for help coming from an elderly customer’s unit. She called out to the woman, who told her that a neighbor had a key. Mitchell located the neighbor and they both checked on the woman, who had … Read more
Brenda Miller recently had a certified letter for a customer who was routinely at home at delivery time, so the rural carrier was concerned when she knocked on the door and got no answer. She heard noises, though, so she looked through a window and saw the customer on the floor. Miller opened the door … Read more
A customer was recently terrified that he’d been stung on his back by a bee, having been to the emergency room after a previous sting, but he wasn’t sure. That’s when Montague, MI, Rural Carrier Saleena Millet arrived with his mail. She verified that it was a sting and stayed with him until emergency responders … Read more
Rural Carrier Debra Holdsworth’s route in Sherrard, IL, recently brought her to the scene of a one-car accident that left the driver seriously injured after hitting a fence. She called 911 and stayed with the young man until emergency responders arrived. He was cut out of the car, flown to a trauma center, and faces … Read more
A recent stroll near his house turned dangerous when a man recovering from back surgery lost his balance in a wooded area. He yelled for help as Highgate Center, VT, Rural Carrier Associate Steven Lumbra arrived to deliver mail. Lumbra found the man, helped him get inside his house, got water for him and stayed … Read more
A case of heat stroke recently left a customer in York, PA, unconscious and unnoticed in her yard until Rural Carrier Jeffrey Deisinger delivered her mail. He called 911 and stayed with the woman until emergency responders arrived. Several days after she was treated at a hospital, the customer contacted the local Post Office to … Read more
A woman who had been stranded for four days after falling in her basement was rescued recently after Willmar, MN, Rural Carrier Rebecca Knuteson heard her cries for help. Knuteson was delivering mail when she detected the customer’s plea and called 911. Emergency responders and a neighbor broke into the home and found the woman … Read more
Rural Carrier Michael Muhm’s actions “will never be forgotten,” a customer recently wrote in a note to the Box Elder, SD, Postmaster. The woman’s husband suffered a fatal heart attack while trimming a tree near their mailbox. Muhm found him, called 911 and went to their door to let her know something was wrong. The … Read more