Richmond, VA — A troubling discovery in Richmond’s Church Hill neighborhood has raised concerns among residents and local leaders alike after a trash bin at the Good Shepherd Baptist Church was found filled with unopened mail and packages.
The discovery was made on Tuesday, January 28, by an administrator at the church who immediately alerted James Minor, president of the Richmond chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Upon investigating, Minor found a disturbing sight: stacks of mail, some addressed to residents in the Church Hill area, including one of his close friends. The mail, which included letters and packages, appeared to be discarded carelessly.
“I’ve never seen or witnessed anything like this in my entire life, since I’ve been at Church Hill,” Minor told 8News. He emphasized the potential impact the discarded mail could have on residents, many of whom rely on mail for critical needs such as medication, bills, and tax-related documents.
Minor described the incident as “unbelievable,” noting that several pieces of mail appeared to be from across the neighborhood, adding to the confusion over how such a large amount of mail had been discarded.
In response, Minor contacted a USPS inspector general, who arrived at the church to retrieve the discarded mail. At the time of this report, no further information was available from the inspector general’s office.
Shelva Hawkes, who works at a nearby business, expressed concern over the situation, stating, “I definitely feel like a lot of that mail is going to impact a lot of the people around here—and they don’t even know necessarily what they’re waiting on, let alone where the mail is going to.”
Pastor Sylvester Smith of the Good Shepherd Baptist Church also condemned the act, calling it “deplorable.” He suggested that if the mail carrier responsible for the discarded mail had been unable or unwilling to deliver it, they should have alerted a supervisor to ensure that proper action was taken. “There are individuals who are sitting around, I’m sure, waiting on expected mail, waiting on medication, waiting on tax forms to get their taxes done,” said Smith. “When someone so callously throws the mail in the trash, it speaks volumes about the trust we should have in that individual.”
Minor has since reached out to local elected officials, including Rep. Jennifer McClellan, Sen. Tim Kaine, and Sen. Mark Warner, all of whom have promised to escalate the matter. Minor hopes that further investigation into the incident will uncover whether similar occurrences have taken place in the past, as some residents are still reporting missing mail.
The situation has raised serious questions about the reliability and responsibility of the U.S. Postal Service in the Richmond area, with many community members hoping for swift action to resolve the issue and prevent further instances of mishandled mail.
As of now, the investigation remains ongoing.
