HENRICO CITIZEN

Since Oct. 7, U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger’s office has received more than 1,500 individual responses from seniors, families, small business owners, and veterans throughout Virginia detailing significant delays in deliveries and shipments of medications, bills, checks, absentee ballots, and other pieces of mail.

In total, Spanberger has received nearly 6,800 responses from Central Virginians since first launching a survey about the U.S. Postal Service in August 2020. She’s planning to use the responses to push for reforms at USPS.

A Henrico businessman wrote: “First class mail is taking seven or more days to reach me. I run a business and depend on timely delivery of mail and packages.”

Another Henrico business owner said she never received a check from a client in North Carolina.

“I asked my client to send another check for that payment and it took almost 10 days to arrive,” she wrote.

A disabled Chesterfield veteran said he uses the mail to receive his medication and glasses from the Veterans Administration in Richmond, and is struggling with late delivery of both.

Other respondents shared similar frustrations.

“We suffered a $117 late fee because it took 6 days for a check to go from our bank to a vendor,” one wrote.

“It took three weeks for me to get a package that was sent via USPS 2-day priority,” wrote another.

Said a third: “I cannot order my medication until l’m within two weeks of running out, and delays in the mailing system causes major problems for me.”

Last month, Spanberger sent a letter to U.S. Postal Service Virginia District Manager Gerald Roane to outline specific mail delivery concerns and to ask how the USPS will fix ongoing issues — including staffing shortages, the end of mail pick-ups at local offices, and continued delivery delays.

“I am so grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their personal experiences with our office,” Spanberger said, “and I will use their stories to continue pressing for renewed support for USPS employees and improved service for Virginians.”