Forty years delivering Carpinteria’s mail

United States Postal Service (USPS) carrier Elise Malacara has been delivering mail to Carpinteria’s residents for nearly 40 years, 20 of those on a dedicated route through town. She will celebrate her 40th anniversary on April 23, and plans to retire in September of this year. 

“What’s not to like (about Carpinteria)? The weather, the people,” Malacara told CVN. 

Carpinteria is the only town Malacara has ever delivered in with USPS, though she lives full-time in Santa Barbara with her husband. After moving from Oxnard to Santa Barbara, she began her work with USPS in 1984. 

Malacara said in her 40 years delivering mail, she has hit every corner of the town, and become friendly with many of the people on her route. It’s not uncommon for Malacara to have conversations with the residents on her route, until eventually everyone on her path becomes an old friend. Outside of work, she would often come into town to visit the library, the beach or The Palms before it closed. 

She told CVN that she’s seen children grow up, go off to college then come back and have their own children. 

“People are great on my route. I love waving to them, and the kids knowing my name,” she said. “I’m gonna miss it.”

Despite loving her job, Malacara said Christmas and election seasons have become increasingly difficult over the years. During a 2020 interview with CVN, Malacara said her workload and her daily stress levels had doubled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Though she doesn’t have any official plans for her retirement, she said she does plan on stopping back in Carpinteria every so often. “People stay in Carpinteria because they love Carpinteria,” she said. “I’ll miss the people.”