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NILES — Before postal carrier Lynn Mayo can leave the post office to begin her route, she sorts through racks and tubs of letters, bills and packages, ensuring that everything is ready to be delivered to the more than 600 Niles residents she serves daily.

This week, she has been taking the extra step of tucking a stack of white notes into her purse before she hops into her mail truck. The notes, written in neat, cursive letters, will be delivered into each mailbox on her route, encouraging her customers to stay safe and reach out to her if they need help.

Amid social distancing mandates ordered to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Mayo, 58, of Niles, has begun placing notes in the mailboxes of her customers, offering to run errands for those who are at a high risk of serious illness if they contract the virus.

In addition to leaving her contact information on the notes for customers to reach out to her, Mayo also thanked first responders, retail workers and truck drivers. In her letters, she also asks anyone on her route that owns a restaurant or small business to reach out to her so she knows to order from them and support their businesses.

“There are a lot of people on my route who fall into the high-risk category [for COVID-19],” said Mayo, a 26-year veteran of the Niles Post Office. “I don’t want my older people out and risking getting exposed. If I can help them, that’s what I’m going to do.”

As postal workers have been declared essential workers during Gov. Whitmer’s “stay home” executive order, Mayo and the rest of the Niles Post Office staff are still reporting to work. As Mayo already has to be out and about, she hopes that by offering to run errands for people on her route, she can keep people in their homes so that they do not have to potentially and unnecessarily expose themselves to the virus.

“Honestly, the hardest part about all of this is that I can’t see and chat with my customers,” Mayo said, a bright laugh echoing against the walls of the post office’s back mailroom. “I’m not afraid for me. I’m afraid for my customers who might be at risk. My customers are like a family to me.”

Niles Postmaster Debra Danai said she was not surprised to hear Mayo, who Danai called “a top-notch carrier,” had offered to help her customers during the COVID-19 crisis. Danai added that all of her carriers are going above and beyond to ensure Niles residents are taken care of at this time.

“They are doing an awesome job, stepping out, being on the front lines,” Danai said of Niles postal workers. “This kind of giving is typical of postal workers, whether they are in a pandemic or not. They pay attention, they know when something is going on, and they are known to help wherever they can.”

As of Friday morning, Mayo said she has not had anyone on her route take her up on her offer. However, many have reached out with phone calls and cards thanking her. One of her favorites is one with blue flowers embellishing the front. Inside, the card says Mayo’s action reminded the writer that there is kindness in the world.

“It really touches my heart,” Mayo said, her finger tracing the words as she reads them aloud. “But I don’t need people to call me to thank me. I [say to them], ‘If you need me, let me know.’”

Still, many of Mayo’s customers want to show their gratitude. One is Joyce Bashara, owner of coffee shop Brew Ha Ha. Though Bashara has only been on Mayo’s mail route for two years, she said Mayo had been a regular at her coffee shop for the better part of a decade. In that time, she said she had known Mayo to be the kind of person to leave a $20 tip for cashiers or buy a round of coffee for everyone in the shop.

When Bashara opened up her mailbox this week to find Mayo’s note, she was touched.

“There was an overwhelming sense of gratitude,” Bashara recalled. “It’s incredible, and I think that more good will come from it. … If we can all reach out to each other at a time like this, it’s better. We are stronger together.”

Already, Mayo said she had seen more acts of kindness result from her note. One person on her route is making hand sanitizer to give to those who need it, and another said the letter inspired her to make face masks for all the Niles carriers. Now, Mayo is hoping to start a movement of kindness in the wake of COVID-19, believing the community will step up to help small businesses and restaurants, show support to first responders and donate to those who may be a loss of work due to the pandemic.

“If my note can do that, help people can pay it forward, that’s what I want,” she said. “This is our community. Just be generous. If you have the ability to help, help. We could use some good news through this.”

Leader Publications is featuring the stories of those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic — essential workers, who still go to work every day to serve the public despite the potential danger. To nominate an essential worker who you think deserves to be featured, email news@leaderpub.com.