Neither unshoveled sidewalks, 3-foot snowdrifts nor a German shepherd mix named Lady could stop Danelle Martinez from delivering a Hanukkah present from Pompano Beach, Fla.
For the past two days, the 29-year-old mail carrier, her co-workers at the U.S. Postal Service and their competitors at private delivery companies have worked expanded hours and negotiated icy streets to deliver millions of holiday cards, packages and mundane bills that stacked up during last week’s blizzard.
“I keep telling myself, ‘Danelle, keep going, keep going.’ No one else is going to do it,” said Martinez, whose route in south Denver’s Valverde neighborhood numbers 400 stops. “It’s tough, it’s heavy, especially now. It’s Christmas.”
Al DeSarro, a U.S. Postal Service spokesman, said the agency is doing everything possible to move holiday packages, including stretching service to Sunday and Monday – Christmas Day – and calling on administrative staff to help deliver and sort.
The closure of interstate highways and Denver International Airport cut off key transportation routes, bringing the entire system to a halt, DeSarro said.
“We just ask for the patience of our Colorado customers,” DeSarro said. “We are doing the best we can. This is a real unique event. There is a likelihood that some of the holiday mail won’t be getting to them by Christmas because of the forces of reality here.”
Meanwhile, the 1,617 UPS drivers pulled off Colorado and Wyoming routes during the blizzard were trying to make up for lost time.
“We are scrambling just to get everything out – every second we have is crucial,” said Diana Hatcher, a UPS spokeswoman in Atlanta. “It’s absolutely crazy out there.”
FedEx planned to continue deliveries Sunday and Monday, even though the company normally does not deliver on Sundays or Christmas. Spokesman Steve Barber said drivers “were going above and beyond,” and urged people to check the status of their packages online with a tracking number.
“Where it’s accessible, we will move,” he said.
Customers streaming into The UPS Store on Larimer Street in downtown Denver were mostly pleasant, even when they learned their packages might not make it in time for Christmas.
“They understand the circumstances, and there was not much any of us could do about it,” owner Ron Moses said. “It is what it is.”
Twice on Friday, Martinez’s postal truck got stuck at ice- and snowpacked intersections, and twice passers-by helped push her free.
The manager of a plumbers supply company gave her a Starbucks gift card for her efforts.
She kept warm thanks to thermal underwear, red knit gloves and waterproof booties that cover her shoes.
Postal carriers were told to skip addresses with snow-covered sidewalks and walkways. Martinez encountered one – a white stucco house with a plastic bag serving as a curtain on one window and a powder-blue pickup truck buried in snow.
“I could and I should, but it should be shoveled,” Martinez said. She trod forward anyway, stepping in existing footprints leading to the front door.
Her route was relatively trouble-free. The dog – Lady – was friendly. Martinez trudged past a snowman with a Blow Pop for an eye and a witch’s hat. An Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine was decked with garland and white lights.
“It’s so peaceful,” Martinez said. “You see everyone out shoveling. The weather kind of pulls everyone together.”
The recipients of the Hanukkah present weren’t home. Wary of reports of stolen packages, Martinez left a note.
Will your package make it by Christmas?
Drivers for the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, FedEx and DHL are working overtime to deliver the mail this weekend after the blizzard halted service for nearly two days.
U.S. Postal Service: Packages will be delivered Sunday (letters and regular mail will not be), and Priority Mail and Express Mail will be delivered Monday (Christmas Day). Residents should clear a path and access to their mailboxes so letter carriers can safely deliver the mail.
FedEx: Drivers plan to deliver Sunday and Monday, even though they normally don’t work Sundays or Christmas Day. To check the status of a package, go to www.fedex.com or call 800-Go-FedEx. The FedEx office at 2100 31st St. in Denver will be open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for package pickup.
UPS: Drivers were working extended hours Friday and Saturday, with the goal of delivering all the packages in the system. They are not working Sunday or Monday. To track a package, go to www.ups.com.
DHL: Denver-area service centers will be open Sunday until 2 p.m. for package pickups. Drivers will be working extended hours Saturday and making limited deliveries Sunday. Track a package at www.dhl-usa.com.
