Like many USPS employees, Marguerite Hughes feels proud that she and her colleagues have served the public throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
To show her pride, Hughes, a Georgetown, IL, customer services supervisor, decided to create posters that celebrate the Postal Service’s commitment to its customers.
Then it occurred to her: Why not get her co-workers involved in the project, too?
“That would have much more meaning,” she said.
Hughes and postal workers from four neighboring Illinois towns — Chrisman, Ridge Farm, Indianaola and Sidell — created posters with illustrations of letter carriers, delivery vehicles and mailboxes. The employees had their children and grandchildren color the posters, which were then hung in each town’s Post Office.
“I adore children, so I thought it would be fun to have everyone take items home and let their kids join in,” Hughes said.
Across the nation, other postal workers are also using artwork to show their solidarity with the communities they serve.
In Utica, IL, Joe Stanbary, a retail associate, tapped his 13-year-old daughter, Abbie, to create a flag made of hearts that filled the Post Office’s front window.
“It has our whole town talking. They are so proud that their Post Office [did this],” said Postmaster Patti Sadnick.
In Shelbyville, KY, Brandy Mims, a rural carrier with an artistic streak, received permission from her Postmaster to paint a temporary display in the Post Office’s window.
Mims created the silhouette of a superheroine wearing a cape and a belt that reads “USPS.” A nearby starburst proclaims “Postal Heroes.”
“I just wanted to make a point of showing how important the work we do is,” Mims said. “When the virus first started, nobody knew what would happen next. I think it’s pretty heroic to get people all their medicines and packages.”
In some communities, employees themselves have become the subject of art projects.
A new mural in Chicago honors police officers, firefighters, sanitation workers, food delivery drivers and a real-life letter carrier: Terrence Richard, who works at Irving Park Station.
“I was pretty amazed how much it looks like me,” Richard said. “It is an honor to be thought of with others as essential.”
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