VPO to Open in Northwest Indiana
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA small community in LaPorte County will welcome a new Village Post Office this morning. The Hanna location joins dozens of VPOs that have opened in rural areas in the state since 2011. July 28, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The tiny hamlet of Hanna in LaPorte County at one time boasted a number of thriving businesses that included two blacksmith shops, one shoe shop, a hay press, two warehouse depots and a station house. Laid out in 1858, the village was situated on the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne and Chicago railroad.
Nowadays, with a population of about 460, Hanna is a census-designated-place – an unincorporated concentration of population identified by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes.
On Wednesday, July 30, 2014, Hanna hits the headlines with the opening of the 69th Village Post Office (VPO) at Hanna Food Mart, 6 N Thompson, Hanna, IN 46340.
The ribbon-cutting will be at 12 p.m. (Central Standard Time) and an open house will follow from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Joye Saboff is owner of the store along with her husband, Gregory. Saboff said they decided to open a VPO in the store as a service to the community when the Post Office was closed for the day. “Many of the people here are at work when the Post Office is open, so we decided we wanted to accommodate them so they would be able to buy stamps and get postal products after the Post Office was closed. We're also hoping to see an increase in foot traffic to the store,” she said.
As with small rural stores, the Hanna Food Mart offers other services such as a tanning bed and key-making equipment as well as the usual grocery items.
Hanna Food Mart is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The new postal center will be opened by Manager, Post Office Operations David Conwell. 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.
Follow us on twitter.com/USPS and like us at facebook.com/USPS. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts.
Source: U.S. Postal Service