A Chicago-based nonprofit that holds pop-up letter-writing events across the nation recently turned up in Webster, MA, and local Postal Service employees Eric Senkavitch and Angel Reynolds were on hand to participate.
Stamp of Sunshine focuses on building community through handwritten postcards and letters.
Reynolds, a customer services supervisor, learned about the group and its local event — which was being held at a café just down the street from the Webster Post Office — through social media.
After sharing the information with Senkavitch, Webster’s postmaster, they decided to attend, with Senkavitch bringing stamps for the group’s mailings.
“Their job is to spread happiness, and we at USPS are inspired. I, myself, mailed a postcard from the event to my grandma. It’s pretty nice to see something like that and to take the time out to write something to someone,” he said.
Stamp of Sunshine was founded in 2023 by Alexandra Mamalakis, a licensed social worker, who was first motivated by the power of receiving handwritten messages from loved ones during an isolating time.
“When I received letters during the COVID-19 pandemic, I thought wow, imagine if everyone was getting a handwritten letter from someone who knows them,” she said.
During the next three years, the nonprofit held letter-writing pop-ups with free materials and postage in coffeehouses, breweries and on airline flights. According to Mamalakis, the organization has mailed more than 2,000 postcards written by passengers and flight attendants during trips and 6,000 postcards over the past three years.
Rhodes has driven a lot of roads — safely
Roaring Spring, PA, Rural Carrier Paul Rhodes was recently inducted into the National Safety Council’s Million Mile Club. He was also recognized for more than 43 years of safe driving.
The Million Mile Club is part of the council’s Safe Driver Award program — the nation’s highest award for professional safe driving — and spotlights professionals with 1 million miles or 30 years of driving without preventable accidents.
“The key is to slow down, no matter the circumstances. Pay attention to your surroundings and ensure I deliver safely to the 504 families on my route.” Rhodes said. He also credits his safe driving record with never having his cellphone on while working.
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