Marlborough – Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many people such as first responders, nurses, doctors and grocery store workers are rightfully appreciated as essential heroes on the frontline. There is also another group that has been working steadily each day through the crisis serving the public – postal employees.
Denise Varano of Marlborough, herself a postal employee who is a writer/editor with the USPS Northeast Area Corporate Communications, shared an encounter she recently had with Ryan Calarese, a 15 year employee.
“Normally husband gets our mail, a fun duty I gave up long ago in our marriage. Sometimes I venture out on a Saturday where I get my mail hand-delivered as our carrier Ryan fills up the steel mail boxes at our condo complex in Marlborough,” she said. “I get to hear about his job and talk shop since I, too, am a postal worker. Then he drives his white truck decaled with red, white and blue stripes, making stops throughout our neighborhood to deliver mail and packages.
“Recently, with me standing away from the mailboxes while Ryan put mail in the cubby holes, I thought, here we are from one Postal Service employee to another and said, ‘Thanks for working.’ I also expressed appreciation for being an essential employee providing a vital service that connects Marlboroughites to the world.”
Varano added that Calarese told her, “I realize I’m a stable part of the community but I like to add something positive to it. It’s usually singing. A job is much like a relationship – you get out what you put in.”
Not with a spectacular voice but entertaining in song, that’s how residents at New Horizons know when he’s coming to make their delivery, Varano said Calarese told her.
Calarese noted that he has had a lot more business since people are working from home. His daily trek covers 739 deliveries to families on the east side of Marlborough.
Varano also recently paid a visit to the Marlborough Post Office where she was delighted to see numerous notes of appreciation sent to the Post Office from grateful patrons.
Photos/submitted
