The U.S. Post Office on Main Street was the center of love and attention Wednesday afternoon when several people showed their support for the organization by holding up encouraging signs and getting passers-by to honk their horns.

Members of Indivisible Danville stood on the sidewalk holding signs that read, “Save our post office!” and “We love our postal workers.”

According to information that was being handed out at the demonstration, “The post office is in danger of going broke. Although a bill to help this has passed the House, it is still awaiting action in the Senate. … A 2006 law required the USPS to fully fund all future retirements and benefits. This and a reduction in use of higher priced mail choices have caused the post office deficit.”

The paper went on to read, “Government officials have indicated they will make the post office a private business if it cannot support itself.”

The supporters were encouraging the public to call their federal legislatures and ask them to fund the USPS.

Margaret Gardiner, who was standing quietly in the shade of the post office building holding a sign that read, “Fund the post office now,” said, “It’s pretty essential to have the post office,” especially since voting by mail was recently used for the primary elections due to COVID-19 restrictions. “The primary worked really well. Hopefully we’ll have that option in November.”

Beau Weston who was also on the scene said, “We’re pro post office. The post office is a vital public service.” He added that the group was against the privatization of the service and didn’t want it sold off to the current administration’s “cronies.”

Julie Pease said the USPS is the only government agency that has to fully fund their pensions. “They need help. … Our post office needs to remain independent.”

The post office was formed in 1775, before the U.S. was an independent country. In 1971 it was reorganized into the USPS, which is a semi-independent and oldest operating government agency, according to the group’s handout.