SUMMERSVILLE, WV – The Postal Service honored Summersville Letter Carrier Clifford Bennett as a Postmaster General Hero for his actions aiding a customer. The presentation took place at the Summersville Post Office on Thursday, Sept. 14.

While delivering his route earlier this summer, Bennett, a 22-year postal employee, saw one of his customers lying on their porch. The customer had sustained injuries after suffering an acute medical event. Bennett called emergency services and stayed with the customer until help arrived. He also contacted the customer’s son to inform him of the situation. The customer’s family is grateful for Bennett’s actions and say the situation could have been much worse without his assistance. The family wishes to remain anonymous.

“We are proud of Clifford and pleased to present him with this special award”, said Summersville Postmaster Richard “Joey” Myers. “He is an asset to the Postal Service and this community.”

Post Office Operations Manager Jon Litton attended the presentation along with Summersville employees.

The U.S. Postal Service is observing the 20th anniversary of the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program, which was created in 2003 to commend USPS employees who go above and beyond the call of duty in a variety of situations, such as assisting lost children, getting help for sick or injured customers, spotting fires, and more.

Around 5,500 individuals, known as PMG heroes, have been recognized through the program, which reflects a simple, yet powerful, idea: Because they know the habits of their customers and the rhythms of their communities, Postal Service employees are often the first to notify emergency personnel and render aid when something is wrong.

# # #