VPO to Open in Henry County
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA new village post office is open in Henry County. The Mount Vernon VPO is located in a locally-owned convenience store. October 29, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Mount Summit is a tiny town in Henry County with a population of about 350 and is about 40 minutes east of downtown Indianapolis.
The novel “Raintree County” written by Indiana native Ross Lockridge helped put Henry County on the map in 1948. Raintree County was the fictional name for Henry County. The book was made into a movie in in 1957 starring Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor, and Taylor was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.
On Thursday, October 30, 2014, Henry County will have another happening when the 72nd Village Post Office (VPO) in the Greater Indiana District opens at the Summit Mart, 101 W. Main St., Mount Summit, IN 47361.
The ribbon-cutting will take place at 11:30 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time) and an open house will follow from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Kathy Kalia and her husband, Suman, are the former owners of the Summit Mart. She was originally approached by the Postal Service and when their friend, Belvir Singh bought the convenience store two years ago, Kathy recommended that he open a VPO in the store.
“We have a lot of people in Mount Summit who work eight to five, and when they return the Post Office is closed, and having the VPO is a great convenience for them. Belvir and his family work long hours, so it's offering a service to them to be able to buy stamps and pick up the flat-rate boxes when they come into the store,” she said.
The Summit Mart is open seven days a week from 5:30 a.m. until 11 p.m.
The new postal center will be opened by Manager of Post Office Operations Larry Chandler. Several USPS and local officials will be present at the event.
In 2011, the Postal Service introduced the VPO model as an alternate retail location for postal products and services, especially in rural communities.
VPOs are operated by local businesses contracting with the Postal Service and offer a range of popular postal products and services including stamps and flat-rate packaging.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
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Source: U.S. Postal Service