UPS driver given ‘thank you’ salute by neighbors for work amid COVID

A community in Virginia came together to thank their regular UPS delivery driver for his hard work through the coronavirus pandemic.

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WTVR CBS 6 reported the neighbors of Midlothian in Chesterfield County surprised Anthony Gaskin with a gift as a thank you for his daily deliveries. According to the report, his dedication to presenting the residents with their packages on-time in good condition has been both literally and figuratively life-saving for recipients.

Patty Friedman led the cause. She informed the news outlet her gratitude was due to Gaskin making her feel welcome as she moved during the pandemic.

“Through COVID, Anthony has continued working, delivering packages at our doors, record numbers of them, over 180 times to date,” she said via email. “I wanted to thank him personally for how much he helped me feel welcome when I moved in during a pandemic. It was terribly lonely and he was always the highlight of my day. Mentioning this to a few people and the response I got was all I needed to know I was not alone.”

The emotional event happened on December 15 to Gaskin’s surprise. Not only were neighborhood residents lined down the street, but even his supervisors were also in on the action to present him with a gift.

“Arriving on bikes, on foot, and in more than 75 cars, hundreds of Hallsley residents lined the road and waited for Anthony to turn the corner,” Friedman informed CBS 6. “A humble man, he needed to be coaxed, but eventually, slowly drove his truck down the road while children and adults held up signs, screamed his name, honked their horns, and rang bells.”

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Many residents were thankful he was able to deliver packages from loved ones they have not been able to see physically due to COVID-19 restraints.

“My six-year-old daughter hasn’t seen either set of grandparents in over a year. This has been very hard on everyone. Many of the packages you deliver are from them. The joy the packages bring makes it worthwhile. Thank you for always delivering them with a kind smile and a friendly wave!” one neighbor added.

Several spoke on his geniune, kind attitude.

“He makes you feel like a friend when you see him. He brightens our day, whenever he drops off a package, which is frequently at our house! He stands out from ALL other delivery drivers and we love him! Cheers to Anthony!” one said.

Nationwide, the shipping company claimed to be having “one of the most successful peak holiday shipping seasons ever,” according to a press statement.

“With great discipline and precision, we are delivering industry-leading on-time delivery performance – all part of our focus on ensuring we maintain a reliable delivery network that all of our customers can depend on,” continued UPS CEO Carol B. Tomé.

The statement shared the company has hired 100,000 seasonal employees, hired 39,000 permanent, new employees between April and June, built 20 new facilities and brought on 14 additional aircraft for the peak season, expanded weekend operations, and significantly improved the speed of its ground delivery network.

theGrio reported in November, the company announced it lifted the ban on Black natural hairstyles including beards, braids, or afros as well as lifted gender-specific regulations in regard to the length of uniform shorts.

“These changes reflect our values and desire to have all UPS employees feel comfortable, genuine, and authentic while providing service to our customers and interacting with the general public,” said UPS in a statement according to the report. UPS is “determined to continue to make UPS a great place to work for all of our more than 500,000 employees around the world.”

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