Safe to say our mailboxes have been the window to the world since the NY Pause went into effect. That has our local letter carriers working holiday hours for the past few months, making sure we are connected to the ones we love.

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night..." Zak Darlak, a USPS letter carrier, says.

'Stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,' is how the rest of the unofficial slogan for United States Postal Service goes. Now, the USPS can add pandemic to it, too.

"It's been extremely busy with everything being closed and people having childcare issues, our staffing has taken a bit of a hit, too," Darlak says.

Darlak let Spectrum News tag along on one of his routes to get a sense of just how busy things have been. Safe to say, as we were under the NY Pause order, USPS was not.

"We are out here 7 days a week, 12 hours days," Darlak adds.

That's because it's not just daily mail Darlak and the rest of our WNY carriers are delivering.

"It's like Christmas," Darlak explains. "The holiday season, every day with the parcel volume anywhere from 150 to 200 parcels daily per route."

Priority services are also up since we've been separated from our loved ones.

"I work Sundays just doing parcels, just because there is so much of it and we have to keep up," Darlak says.

But the pandemic has also given letter carriers a new role.

"Sometimes there are elderly people who want to talk, and you are the only people they see all day," Darlak says.

Darlak says those new friendships are delicate since the elderly are at most risk if they get COVID-19, which brings him to his next point, keeping him and other letter carriers safe. Here's what we can do.

"Just respect the social distancing," Darlak says. "It's hard to do because we have the same customers and we appreciate them and they appreciate us."

Darlak keeps a mask around his neck just in case someone gets too close, and for when he goes into hospitals to collect mail. Hand sanitizer is also in supply in his truck.

"I find it more effective to just not touch my face and then hand sanitize after every street," Darlak admits.

When he gets home, his uniform is separated from the rest of his family's clothes to keep them safe.

"In the beginning, it was kind of a cultural shock trying to adapt to it," Darlak says. "Now you just have to take as many precautions as you can to be prepared throughout the day."

And each day that averages 12 miles for Darlak, delivering smiles to some 500 mailboxes along the way.

Next week is Dog Bite Prevention week. Already this year, 48 WNY carriers have been bitten. Last year's total was 66. The risk is going up because we are all home. So, Darlak asks to watch your furry family member so they can deliver safely.