A Sioux Falls, SD, girl’s recent “thank you” letter to her mail carrier has led to dozens of replies from Postal Service employees — and national media attention.
Emerson Weber, 11, loves to write letters to her friends and family and enjoys decorating the envelopes to make them more special. Last month, she decided to pen one for Letter Carrier Doug Scott.
“He sees letters that other people get and I wanted him to get a letter,” she said.
In her note, which she left in her mailbox, Emerson thanked Scott for collecting her letters and delivering them.
“The reason you are very important in my life is because I don’t have a phone, so how else am I supposed to stay in touch with my friends? You make it possible!” she wrote.
Scott, a 26-year USPS employee, was touched, especially given the challenges of working during the coronavirus pandemic.
“You’re out there touching everything, you’re wondering about if you’re going to get it,” Scott said. “The letter broke the ice and made me smile. It’s nice to be appreciated every now and then.”
He shared Emerson’s note with Customer Services Supervisor Sara Bell, who passed it along to Western Area’s Corporate Communications team. The note was then published in one of the area’s newsletters, sparking requests from employees who wanted to write to Emerson to thank her.
“As supervisors, we care and let carriers know how essential they are, especially during these times. However, hearing it from a young customer was probably way better,” Bell said. “We’ve gotten some other letters but this one struck a chord. When I was little I appreciated my mailman, and that’s part of the reason I joined the Postal Service.”
In addition to getting replies from Bell and Scott, Emerson has received more than 60 letters from postal employees, including Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan.
Many responses included personal stories, along with booklets of stamps to encourage her to keep using the mail.
“It was emotional,” said Emerson’s father, Hugh Weber. “We as a family sat and read them all aloud. She’s already responded and put them in the mail.”
Hugh shared his daughter’s original letter on social media, garnering millions of views and shares, along with messages supporting USPS. “Good Morning America,” CNN and NPR have covered the story.
The messages are part of the outpouring of support from customers expressing appreciation for USPS, which is continuing to provide an essential service during the COVID-19 crisis.
“We see the sacrifice in what many postal families are doing right now,” Hugh said. “We want others to see the essential nature of the Postal Service.”
Said Emerson: “We really do need them because now it’s not safe to go out. They’re doing things we are afraid to do during this time.”
