THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 14, 1995 TAG: 9512120070
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
The employees at the Berkley Post Office are challenging other area postal workers to deliver more than letters and packages this holiday season.
They want them to dig deep and donate a few dollars toward feeding a needy family in their communities.
The Berkley employees already have set an example by helping one family this year. The station's nine workers raised enough money last month to provide a Thanksgiving turkey dinner for a single mother and her three children who live in Berkley. The employees' goal is to help more families next year.
``This is a small office of nine employees, and we were able to collect about $85,'' said W.T. Lawrence, manager of the Berkley branch post office. ``Other stations could at least sponsor one or two families. At first people are reluctant, but once they see how a few dollars can make such a difference to people they know, they really start to feel good about what they're doing and they want to give.''
Employees were reluctant to give blindly, Lawrence said. They wanted to ensure that their money would benefit a family that truly needed help.
To identify a family, the employees turned to the STOP organization, a Norfolk-based nonprofit community action agency. STOP officials in turn sought assistance from the Beacon Light Civic League.
``One of the carriers knew the family we helped, so it really made it worthwhile for us,'' Lawrence said.
Now the Berkley postal workers are hoping others will follow their example.
``Postal workers are part of the community, even though we don't live there,'' Lawrence said. ``We're out there every day ... we spend at least eight to 10 hours a day in the community. Rather than just taking from the residents, we wanted to contribute something. This is our way of paying something back to the community.'' by CNB