Creative mail carrier delivers joy with wild costumes

"It's almost like the ice cream truck for a little kid!"

"It's almost like the ice cream truck for a little kid!"

Creative mail carrier delivers joy with wild costumes

"It's almost like the ice cream truck for a little kid!"

While many businesses have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, mail remains an essential service throughout the state of North Carolina. One carrier in southern Winston-Salem is delivering more than bills, medicine and magazines though. She is also delivering joy.For the last week and a half she has been dressing up in a variety of wacky outfits, much to the delight of the people on her route and her friends on Facebook.Traci Lewis says her parents raised her to work hard and laugh as much as possible. She also says she's heavily involved in Girl Scouts, where she teaches young women to make the world a better place and make people smile."And the third reason is, it makes me feel better," she says with a chuckle.So far she has dressed up as a shark, a butterfly, a pirate, a bee, 'quarantine casual Friday,' and road construction, complete with an orange cone on her head. It is not uncommon for people to stop her on her route and ask for a picture after patiently waiting for her arrival."She brings joy to a time where it is one of those depressing times," says Gwen Whitaker, who lives along her route."It's almost like the ice cream truck pulling up when you're a little kid.""We've been locked in the house and it's just so fun to come out and see her every day. She's such a joy," said Vicki Baltierrez, another neighbor.Mail carriers are some of the few remaining workers right now, carrying out a job that cannot be done from home and requires regular human contact. For the most part, Lewis is only touching mailboxes, but she also carries hand sanitizer, a mask and gloves when someone has to sign for a package. She also makes sure to maintain social distancing when she is taking pictures. Lewis says she plans to keep dressing up until she's told not to, the shelter-in-place-order is lifted, or she runs out of ideas."It makes me feel like I'm actually making a difference for a few people and in a way that I actually can," she says.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —

While many businesses have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, mail remains an essential service throughout the state of North Carolina.

One carrier in southern Winston-Salem is delivering more than bills, medicine and magazines though. She is also delivering joy.

For the last week and a half she has been dressing up in a variety of wacky outfits, much to the delight of the people on her route and her friends on Facebook.

Traci Lewis says her parents raised her to work hard and laugh as much as possible. She also says she's heavily involved in Girl Scouts, where she teaches young women to make the world a better place and make people smile.

"And the third reason is, it makes me feel better," she says with a chuckle.

So far she has dressed up as a shark, a butterfly, a pirate, a bee, 'quarantine casual Friday,' and road construction, complete with an orange cone on her head. It is not uncommon for people to stop her on her route and ask for a picture after patiently waiting for her arrival.

"She brings joy to a time where it is one of those depressing times," says Gwen Whitaker, who lives along her route."It's almost like the ice cream truck pulling up when you're a little kid."

"We've been locked in the house and it's just so fun to come out and see her every day. She's such a joy," said Vicki Baltierrez, another neighbor.

Mail carriers are some of the few remaining workers right now, carrying out a job that cannot be done from home and requires regular human contact. For the most part, Lewis is only touching mailboxes, but she also carries hand sanitizer, a mask and gloves when someone has to sign for a package. She also makes sure to maintain social distancing when she is taking pictures.

Lewis says she plans to keep dressing up until she's told not to, the shelter-in-place-order is lifted, or she runs out of ideas.

"It makes me feel like I'm actually making a difference for a few people and in a way that I actually can," she says.