‘I take a lot of pride in what I do. I like helping people, and I do feel like this job is about helping people.’

Amanda Foster, East Northport

“I always wanted a civil service job. I worked in retail for six years, and I took a bunch of civil service tests. I took the Postal Service test and they called me back. So then I went further with the orientation, the interviews, and they said, ‘You’re good to go. We want you to work for us.’

“I spent a lot of time in East Northport growing up, and now that’s my route. I have 299 stops, which is a shorter route. I’ve had as many as 800 stops before.

“As a kid, it was so exciting getting mail. I have a friend that’s still obsessed with the post office. It’s even more important now because no one writes letters anymore. It doesn’t seem like a big gesture, but it is to take the time out to pick the card, to physically write and to send it out.

People enjoy seeing a friendly face, and they look forward to seeing their mail carrier.

“Christmas, you see a lot of red and green in the mail. Then you see Mother’s Day is a lot of pink. Then I know someone’s birthday coming up because I can tell by the different cards. I love seeing that because now it’s so easy to just text our friends. We rarely write letters.

“I watch kids grow up and, at the same time, I’m watching another person pass away. I’m delivering your wedding invitation and other important milestones. I am watching the circle of life. It’s crazy and so beautiful. I feel so connected and part of all of it.

“My mind shifts constantly throughout the day because there are so many different people in all stages of life. I’ll never forget, last year I had a customer, he was 101. He just got really sick, and he just declined. I remember I was delivering, and the house next door got a new trampoline. I remember literally standing there on the other side of the street and watching these young people jumping around, and then their neighbor is getting ready to transition to hospice.

“People enjoy seeing a friendly face, and they look forward to seeing their mail carrier. It’s the only career where we’re there at your door every day. I take a lot of pride in what I do. I like helping people, and this job is about helping people. I’m civil servant; it’s a service. I think a lot of people relate to that. I feel like it’s a jackpot. I like being outdoors. I get my exercise; I’m interacting with people.”

Interviewed by Maggie Rose Melito