Mailman Goes Above and Beyond, Helps Customers Stuck at Home Get Essential Items
When the going gets tough, Americans have always found a way to reach out to those in need.
U.S. Postal Service letter carrier Kyle West, who delivers the mail in Colerain Township, Ohio, is one of those Americans.
Along with the mail, West, has been helping the many elderly residents along his route by delivering whatever supplies they need, according to WCPO.
It all started when one of his customers asked for help.
“My favorite guy came out and asked me if I could please get him toilet paper. From then I realized that some people just can’t do it themselves,” West said.
West then decided someone needed to make a difference, and he was that someone.
He dropped a note off to each customer, saying that anyone who was at risk and needed help getting essential items should reach out to “Mailman Kyle.” West put his phone number on the note.
He said it made sense for him to help out since he was already making the rounds of the route.
“Seeing a lot of my customers putting on suits to just go get stamps I figured if I’m already there, it won’t hurt me to bring what they need,” West said.
West gave out about 450 notes, and got about 400 replies, according to WXIX.
“I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from it,” West said. “I didn’t do it to receive anything myself. I just did it to help my customers, and it’s definitely working.”
Toilet paper tops the list of items that are requested. Some customers have asked for milk, he said.
“A lot of people don’t have family and people to help them through this,” West said.
“And a lot of people’s favorite person is the mailman. They wait on us every single day to get there because it’s the only person they get to talk to.”
Bonne Steinlage, a Franciscan Sister of the Poor who lives along West’s route, praised his efforts.
“This is so nice for people that can’t get around, and if I was stuck I wouldn’t hesitate to call him, because he’s so genuinely kind and sincere,” she told WXIX.
West said that for now, the conversation part of the job is off-limits.
“It’s hard for us as well not being able to talk to our customers because that’s one of the big parts of our day, being able to see all of our favorite people,” he told WCPO.
But instead, he is urging everyone to follow federal guidelines as the nation rides out the coronavirus pandemic.
“We would love to continue to talk to you once this is over,” West said.
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