Milton Hershey School Mail Clerk Keeps Community Connected Amidst COVID-19
As we cannot be physically together due to the pandemic, sending mail and packages has become an alternative to in-person interactions for birthdays, celebrations, and more. Mail is exceptionally important at Milton Hershey School as students live on campus and are often miles away from home and their loved ones.
Milton Hershey School’s Mail Clerk Renee Gibson says she sorts and delivers between 3,000 to 7,000 pieces of mail on a busy day at the Hartman Supply Center. Her favorite part about the job is “delivering special packages to students to make their days.”
Gibson played an integral role in the Opening of School Celebration as she sorted and organized all of the MHS student surprise boxes.
“My favorite memory at MHS, thus far, was participating in this year’s Opening of School,” Gibson said. “I was in charge of sorting all of the driver’s routes and preparing packages for the drivers to deliver each day. It was a way for me to feel connected to the community in spirit.”
Before starting in the MHS Mail Room, Gibson was a bus driver and enjoyed transporting student athletes to games and events.
“For over five years, I enjoyed being a bus driver and being active in the students’ lives,” Gibson said. “I was able to create relationships and follow along on their athletic journeys.”
Now as the Mail Clerk, Gibson is in charge of sorting and delivering mail across campus and beyond. She stays focused on her duties with a systematic approach.
“I have a daily routine that helps me get everything done,” Gibson said. “Twice a day, I deliver mail (sometimes by foot) across campus to different departments and to the local post office.”
As a mother and step-mother of six, Gibson understands the impact a package or piece of mail can make for a child. She loves when she is able to see the student’s reaction at the student home and realizes firsthand all of her hard work has paid off.