Delivery Driver Snacks A Must, SoCal Online Shoppers Say

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — It's the most wonderful time of the year for online shoppers, but maybe not so much for the delivery drivers who are working overtime to make sure those gifts arrive on schedule.

The United States Postal Service anticipates more than 750 million packages will be sent this season as deadlines near for shipping gifts in time for Christmas. Packages will continue to be delivered through Christmas eve.

Still, with news reports warning of package thefts from front porches, sometimes those who leave the packages are lost in the shuffle.

One Orange County woman decided to do something about it after being inspired by others over social media.

"I've been getting at least two deliveries a day," Dana Point resident Carly Simard told us in 2016, when the idea came to fruition. "I just really wanted these hard workers to know how much we appreciate what they do."

Online shopping, a necessity during the winter of 2020, is still a huge benefit for parents with small children. Parents can shop from the comfort of their own homes, rather than dragging tots through the stores while you're helping Santa fill his sleigh.

Simard, a mother of small children, is used to handing out snacks. It only seemed logical to share with the delivery people as well.

"It seemed like such an easy way to spread some kindness, and that's been a huge priority for me lately," she said.

The idea of the porch delivery person snack box has spread across the country, with some savvy moms even pausing to pose with their UPS drivers.

From Georgia to Oklahoma, Colorado to California, residents are pausing to thank their UPS delivery drivers with tasty wholesome treats.

In some states, residents are leaving out hand-warmers and hot cocoa and figuring out how to keep water bottles from freezing on the front porch.

In southern California, with early December temperatures in the 80s, that isn't a cause of concern.

Items people are placing in their delivery driver snack boxes are:

• Oranges and bananas
• Cookies
• Packaged pretzels
• Packaged peanuts or trail mix
• Beef jerky
• Chips
• Gatorade
• Water

Finish it off with this free printable download to show that you are sharing because you care.

The box on the porch is a perfect gesture to share kindness in a world where not every mailman gets a monetary gift when purse strings are tight at the end of the year.

A snack, however, is always appreciated as Oklahoma resident Jen Ellis tells us.

"Sometimes a small gesture goes a long way in making someone's day."

Have you left a treat for your delivery driver? Tell us about it!

Download your Free Printable here!

Photo, courtesy Julie Mitchell