Living overseas can be a challenge. Especially when you are living in a country that you are not familiar with for three years because your husband is serving in the armed forces. Ms. Elena knew what she signed up for when she walked down the aisle five years previously in a small church just outside her hometown. This is the military life, and I will do everything that I can to support our family while we are here. 

Ms. Elena loved challenges and she also loved to help people. There were many times that she would go out of her way to take food to strangers who were hungry, give women shelter because they were domestically abused, or open her home to military families because the spouse had to leave early to comply with military orders. 

Over a year into her current stay, she was feeling the urge to help again. How can she make everyone happy while at the same time serving her country like her husband was doing without going into the armed forces? Suddenly, a fantastic idea came to her. 

“Everyone is getting prepared for the holidays which was couple of months away, and since we are in a foreign country, many service members and their families will be depending on Christmas packages, cards, and letters from their loved ones at home to make their holidays.” 

“That is it!!” 

“I will volunteer at the military post office.” 

“I know helping people out would make them happy and that is always my calling!”

Eager to start, she got up early the next morning and rode with her husband to his work because the post office was only a few blocks away. After she arrived, Ms. Elena peaked at the door to see if there was anyone there? Seeing an attendant at the counter, she asked to speak to someone about volunteering for the upcoming holiday season. The attendant pointed to the person in charge who was in the back sorting out the daily mail after the trucks arrived earlier that morning. 

Ms. Elena approached him and asked if she could help in any way especially with the holidays approaching. The boss was more than happy to see her because he needed the help more than ever. However, Ms. Elena would have to fill out paperwork to make it official and to make sure that she understood that it was just on a volunteer basis, with no pay or salary involved. Ms. Elena was very excited about the arrangement, and she filled out the paperwork right away and gave it to the boss. 

Of course, it would not be easy working at the post office, and she had many things to learn. She teamed up with another volunteer and the team lead to learn the ropes. First was unloading the mail from the trucks during the morning run. Next was separating the letters and cards from the packages. Afterwards was organized the letters and cards into different sections according to where the mailboxes were located. Then came filling out cards indicating to the recipients that a package arrived for them. Afterward, was distributed the mail, cards, and package notifications to the individual mailboxes. To Ms. Elena, this was one of the fun parts of the day, because she knew that someone was going to be very happy to find something special in their mailbox, she loved distributing the mail just like the Grinch distributed the mail during the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas especially when Mr. Grinch was throwing mail into the Whoville post office  boxes while saying “jury duty, jury duty, jury duty, junk mail, pink slip, eviction notice etc.” 

However, the most satisfying part of the day, which made Ms. Elena's day was watching the service members and families opening their mailboxes and seeing the Christmas cards, letters, and package notifications. It was great watching their eyes light up, smiles come to their faces, and their spirits light up because of what was in the mailbox. Ms. Elena really enjoyed being at the front counter, taking the notifications, and getting the packages for the customers. It was awesome watching the children jumping up and down in excitement because they knew that there were Christmas gifts in those boxes even though they knew that they couldn’t open them up until Christmas morning.  

Even though it brought great satisfaction to Ms. Elena to put the Christmas Cards, letters, and package notifications in the mailboxes, one of the other things that she loved to do was to assist in delivering packages, letters, and cards to the loved ones at home in the United States. Ms. Elena was more than happy to make sure each of the gifts had special care and to ensure the senders did not worry because the post office will do everything in their power to make sure all will be delivered safely so that all will have a great Christmas. 

Ms. Elena had so much volunteering that she stayed several months after the Christmas season to help where she could. The joy of seeing people’s faces when they picked up their mail was because she knew how a letter or a card would bring happiness to those in receipt.

In the late spring, it was time for her and her husband to go back to the United States to a new duty station. During her last week at the Post Office, her boss and the team had a special going away luncheon in her honor to thank her for all the help and joy that she brought to everyone during her time there. After the luncheon, the boss presented her with a gift, a certificate, and a trophy symbolizing all the appreciation that he and the team had for Ms. Elena for her time there. There was an inscription on the trophy that said, “A special thanks to Ms. Elena for all her time and efforts in making the Post Office a better place to work.” Thank you very much, Ms. Volunteer!!