Lawrence Adair serves a vital role in his community. He’s a city letter carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Lawrence starts each day at the post office, sorting mail with his co-workers. Then he loads his van and drives to assigned points on his route. There, he parks, delivers mail on foot, and then drives to the next point. When he’s done, he’ll have delivered letters and packages to roughly 500 mailboxes. Over the years, he’s gotten to know the people who live in the neighborhoods where he works. Once he even helped an elderly woman who’d fallen in her home get back up safely. “She didn’t need any medical attention, but things like that can happen. Sometimes you’re in the right place at the right time,” says Lawrence. “You really just have to show up and care.”

I grew up around mail carriers. My aunt was a letter carrier, and as a kid, I also got to know my mailperson. We both loved skateboarding, and I looked forward to seeing him around town.

After high school, I worked in restaurants. Then I applied to USPS. I had to complete mail-sorting and driving tests, a background check, and a five-day job training course.

I spent four years as a city carrier assistant. I was assigned a different route every day, usually filling in for someone who was out. It really kept me on my toes!

Now I’m a city letter carrier. I work the same route every day. I’ve gotten to know almost everybody whose mail I deliver. I really feel connected to the community.

I walk 10 miles a day delivering mail. The hardest part of the job is managing weather. Rain or extreme heat can be tough. But I love spending time outside.