July 5, 2011 — The character of a community is often revealed through encounters with its public servants. 

On any given weekday, one can enter the Morehead post office and be greeted and served by friendly and efficient postal clerks, many of whom will recognize and greet you by name.

    One of those clerks is Leah Gillum. You know her.  If you’ve ever gone into the post office feeling grumpy, it’s quite difficult the leave the same way if Gillum was your sales and service associate.

    “I just love people. The Lord has given me such a love and passion for them,” she said.

Gillum started at the U.S. Postal Service in 1985 after working at the Morehead State University campus post office.

“I decided I wanted to work at the post office and I took the exam. I called my uncle afterward and he prayed for me.

“The Lord just opened the doors and within six months I was hired, which is really unusual because the process doesn’t typically work that fast,” she said.

Gillum started out as a clerk/carrier, which means she delivered mail and also assisted customers at the front counter. She did that for nearly three years, and is now a sales and service associate.

     “I represent the U.S. Postal Service in this community,” she said.  “I love every person that comes in here. It goes beyond selling them one stamp or helping them mail a package. I want to know about their families. I want good for them,” she said.

Gillum said she does not attempt to hide her faith as she encounters customers but she does not force her beliefs on others.  She said most times customers will bring up the subject and she is quite happy to fellowship with them. 

The post office, like barber shops and hometown grocery stores, was once a hub of community activity but now post offices are closing in communities across the nation.

Gillum said she doesn’t think the Morehead post office is any danger of closing but said competition from the private sector means she and her co-workers shouldn’t take their customers for granted.

“We are not the monopoly anymore for mail delivery, people have options. I want this to be a place of joy where customers want to come in and come back,” she said.

She said she even wants children to enjoy their visit to the post office.

    On a typical work day, Gillum says she begins by praying for her co-workers and for each customer that will come through the doors. Then the daily preparation and sorting occur and when the doors open 8 a.m. Gillum is ready to welcome and assist her customers.

She laughs with them, inquires about family, work and home life. Her gentle ribbing of some customers produces smiles as the line moves along.

“We can’t stop the line from moving, but I talk to them as I’m waiting on them,” she said.

The day is not over when the window closes at 4 p.m., Gillum said. Then it’s time to get the mail ready for pickup.

“We’re the first stop on the route of the truck from Lexington. If we’re not ready, that backs up delivery all down the line”.

Gillum said the job of postal workers is not easy though it may appear that way. She said there are many elements involved in mail sorting, delivery and customer service.

Then there are the times when irate customers come in. She said it’s easy for her to overlook those times.

“I still treat them good. I’ve been grumpy before and someone overlooked my attitude. I can do the same. It’s okay.”

Yes, but what about tax time, when last-minute filers form lines out the door?

 “The more the merrier! I love lots and lots of people and those days I get to see more of them,” she exclaimed.

“Plus, the older I get, the less things bother me,” she laughed.

Gillum and Clay, her husband of 31 years, have two daughters, Elizabeth and Rebecca. They also have a grandson, Tiernan, who is 10 years old. The Elliot County native now calls Morehead home, and she is a member of Grace Assembly of God Church.

She believes the Morehead post office is unique among others in the area because she and her co-workers genuinely care about the customers on delivery routes and those who come through the doors.

“We have good people who work here. It can be a high-stress job sometimes but we enjoy what we do.  I give God all the glory for putting me here. He knows where we need to be,” she said.



Noelle Hunter can be reached at nhunter@themoreheadnews.com or by telephone at 784-4116.