PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — A mail carrier is receiving some love and gifts from residents in a Ponte Vedra Beach community after the neighborhood banded together to make her ‘Queen for the Day.'
What started with one neighbor wanting to say thank you quickly spread to hundreds of neighbors joining in to show their appreciation.
Leisa Atkins has been a mail carrier for 25 years.
“My mom was the mail lady for this route before I started, so I just kinda step in when she retired," said Atkins.
She serves over 425 houses in the Dolphin’s Cove community in Ponte Vedra Beach, working six days a week delivering mail and kindness.
“I know the dogs, I know the kids. I wave at everybody as they’re driving by," she explained. "They say hey to me, I say hey to them.”
Seeing Atkins work so hard moved neighbor Gloria Wild to create a Leisa appreciation day. She posted her idea on Facebook and soon hundreds of neighbors responded.
“They were like omg this is such an awesome idea, Leisa is the best, we love her," said Wild. “She just works so hard and she’s so kind and through the whole pandemic she just comes on by and has the most beautiful smile on her face.”
Hundreds of neighbors left gifts, thank you cards and balloons for Leisa along her normal route. A surprise for Atkins as she started her day on Sunday.
“I legit started crying when I saw the balloons," said Atkins. “I do enjoy being the queen for the day and then I’ll go home and my sister was super excited when I told her that I had a Leisa Appreciation Day.”
For Atkins and Wild, they hope to continue spreading appreciation to other members of the community.
“Just think if we did one kind thing for somebody how amazing this world would be," said Wild.