The APWU has given a one-of-a-kind gift to the people of McCausland, Iowa: a donation of $30,000 to help save their post office. The contribution will pay for renovations to a building the small town purchased in order to stave off threats by the USPS to discontinue regular postal service for its 300 residents.

The saga began four years ago, when the Postal Service closed McCausland’s only post office because of mold contamination. A “temporary” post office has never been up to code, and the USPS threatened in January of this year to close it on April 25.

Without the new building and upgrades, McCausland would have lost its post office, and all of its residents would have been switched to rural route delivery.

The people of McCausland didn’t take the news lying down. In February, the town purchased a building to house the post office for $55,000, and residents set about the daunting task of raising another $55,000 to pay for the wiring, plumbing, heating, and cooling needed to meet USPS demands.

The community raised the money “one pork sandwich at a time,” at events that included bake sales, hog roasts, and soup suppers.

“We wanted to ensure that McCausland keeps its post office – and its identity,” said APWU President William Burrus. We felt the demands made on the community by the Postal Service were beyond their means.

“We were inspired by the efforts of local citizens to take matters into their own hands,” he said, “and we were proud to help.”

The APWU donation will be officially presented by Bruce Clark, Iowa APWU president, on April 19 – at a fund-raising taco dinner.