Saratoga News

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Photograph by George Sakkestad

Saratoga postal carrier Theresa Torres Hill will not only be delivering the mail on Saturday, she'll also be picking up food donations.

Torres Hill does her part to help feed the hungry

By Tiffany Carney

Theresa Torres Hill walks and drives around the same Saratoga neighborhood every day, but she's not lost--she's a letter carrier.

Torres Hill has delivered the mail for 17 years. She not only delivers, she also collects one day each year during the National Association of Letter Carriers National Food Drive.

That day comes up on May 12 when she'll pick up donated food along her route. She goes a step further and sorts the items received.

"It is absolutely fantastic. Not only is it good for the customers who feel good about giving, it's also so important for the people who need the food," she says.

Every employee at her post office looks forward to the event. "I'm out there anyway, and we get to do a good deed that helps people. It works out great," Torres Hill says. She understands the importance of the food drive, especially because the food banks are low at this time of year, she says.

In Saratoga, the letter carriers don't do much walking. "Our office is a little bit different; we have a lot of driving routes, so it's a little bit easier for us. We don't have to load up our satchels like some carriers do in other offices," she says.

Torres Hill also says that there is friendly competition among the carriers to see who collects the most. "When everyone comes back, we look in their trucks to see who got what and who has more, and we all just get a big kick out of seeing how much we collected. We don't really talk about it but I know everyone is looking," Torres Hill says with a laugh.

She says that her job is very physical, which is one thing she enjoys about it. "I feel like I'm out here getting exercise as well as working," she says.

She loves being able to enjoy the fresh air on the job. "I also enjoy the outdoor aspect of it, and I think a lot of us do," Torres Hill says. She enjoys driving her route and says it's a good feeling when residents wave to her.

On her route, Torres Hill has more than 400 deliveries so she talks to people from all walks of life. She enjoys delivering mail to her customers, because it's more than just bills. "I get to bring them cards, letters and packages from their loved ones," Torres Hill says.

Many of the carriers have been on routes for more than 20 years and know their customers by name, she says. "We really get to see families grow and change," says Torres Hill, who adds that she sees children go to grade school, then to high school.

Torres Hill grew up in Saratoga and enjoys working in that area. "It's beautiful here with the mountains and the green trees. It's a fantastic place to deliver mail."