From left, Greater Indiana District Manager of Post Office Operations Carmen Jennings and Jo Temple, manager of the Glenwood Mini Mart, at the opening of a Village Post Office in Glenwood, IN.
Rural revolutionThe Village Post Office (VPO) model has proved to be extremely popular in the hamlets and towns of rural Indiana, resulting in a surge in the number of VPOs opening in Greater Indiana District.
Recently, the 75th VPO in the nation opened in the Glenwood, IN, Mini Mart. Glenwood was the 14th VPO to open in Greater Indiana. The 15th opened today in Corunna, IN. Seven more VPO openings are scheduled for December with three more on deck for January, in locations as diverse as convenience stores, a pallet store, a tax center and a hardware store.
Greater Indiana VPO Coordinator Judy Bays and Secretary Alice Moore are responsible for finding future VPO sites. Bays thinks Indiana is a popular location for the offices due to its rural areas.
“When Alice and I go out into these small towns to talk to potential VPOs, we often find they are the only business in town besides the Post Office,” Bays said. “They see it as being part of the community and hope it will bring more foot traffic to their businesses.”
Greater Indiana District Manager Bernice Grant credits dedicated district employees for the VPO growth.
“Judy and Alice have worked diligently in seeking out potential businesses to partner with us, and in following up the leads submitted by employees,” said Grant. “It’s been a real team effort.”