After 1.8 million miles of service, rural USPS mail carrier gets big surprise from a Secret Santa
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A local Secret Santa is giving $1 million to deserving people in eastern Idaho this holiday season. Every day, from now until the end of the year, the East Idaho News elves will be delivering gifts from Secret Santa and we’ll be sharing the surprise videos here.
Jayne has worked as a contractor for the United States Postal Service for more than 39 years, driving over 1.8 million miles on her route and working six days a week with only federal holidays off. Because her position is contract-based, she receives no benefits or pension, making retirement feel out of reach even as she enters her mid-70s.
The wear of the job has taken a personal toll as well: Jayne has gone through seven of her own vehicles to keep the mail moving. Her current car has more than 300,000 miles and a battery that no longer holds its charge, creating safety concerns, especially with winter weather settling in.
Her husband, Larry, has also faced significant health challenges, including Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, arthritis, nerve damage, and colon cancer. Once a dedicated farmhand and trucker for local farmers, his declining health forced him to stop working.
Between medical appointments, physical therapy, and the cost of keeping Jayne on the road for work, the idea of replacing her failing vehicle felt impossible.
That’s when a Secret Santa stepped in and asked the East Idaho News elves to deliver an early Christmas gift to Jayne. We caught up with her on the mail route – check out the surprise in the video player above!
