HENDERSON, LA — After over a year of waiting and numerous challenges, residents of Henderson are finally seeing relief with the installation of new mailboxes at the old City Hall. This long-awaited change comes after the closure of the town’s post office, which left many locals without access to mailboxes and forced to rely on others to pick up their mail in Breaux Bridge.
For many, the absence of mailboxes has been a source of frustration and hardship. Joyce Schmeltzer, a local resident who has undergone multiple hip surgeries and can no longer drive, shared the difficulty of having to rely on others for basic mail retrieval. “I’m very pleased with this because it’s been a hardship for Henderson since our post office shut down. People without cars have to rely on other people to pick up their mail in Breaux Bridge, and it’s just a problem,” said Schmeltzer. “I have to rely on my cousin to pick up my mail or the lady that takes care of me, she has to go pick up my mail. It’s just a hardship.”
The situation has been especially challenging for elderly residents, some of whom struggle with mobility and depend on others for transportation. However, with the installation of 130 mailboxes at the old City Hall, those challenges are now coming to an end. The new cluster of mailboxes promises to restore the convenience that residents once enjoyed before the post office closed.
Mayor Sherbin Collette expressed his relief, noting that the installation came after repeated attempts to work with the U.S. Postal Service. “Congressman Higgins went to Washington, and went to the postmaster general and asked for help, and he came out with something, so we started working on it, and we’re gonna get mailboxes now. It’s not 100% what I wanted. I wanted another post office, but they say in time we may get that,” said Collette.
For many residents, including Kyle McNew, the new mailboxes will make life much easier. “It’s great, it’s gonna be right there like before, so it’s not an inconvenience anymore,” McNew said, reflecting on the year he spent driving to Breaux Bridge to retrieve his mail.
Senior resident Ferdie Wiltz, who is 91 years old, also expressed his approval of the change, calling it a much-needed improvement. “I’m 91 years old, I don’t have very many years to pick up mail, but I have kids and grandkids, and it just wasn’t right to go to Breaux Bridge to pick up mail every day,” Wiltz said.
The installation of the mailboxes was made possible through the efforts of Congressman Clay Higgins, who worked closely with the postmaster in Breaux Bridge to secure the necessary services for Henderson. Mayor Collette thanked Higgins for his dedication and support. “Higgins went overboard with what he did for us. He’s the one that got them here, to tell you the truth,” Collette added.
The mailboxes are expected to be fully installed at the old City Hall this month, marking the end of a long and difficult chapter for Henderson’s residents. While the return of mailboxes is a significant step, many are hopeful that the town may eventually get its post office back.
For now, however, residents are breathing a sigh of relief, knowing that they will no longer have to endure the hassle of traveling to a neighboring town to receive their mail.