Michelle Almeida and her son Chris Harris, right, at the Puunene Post Office on Maui hand over collected food to a Maui Food Bank worker.
Being a part of an extended ohana that serves the community is a priority with a mother and son who are postmasters on Maui.
Michelle Almeida, Kihei’s postmaster since 2018, and her son Chris Harris, who has managed the Puunene post office since 2022, are instilled with a devotion to duty that extends beyond their professions. They both also joined the Hawaii Army National Guard, which included periods of active duty in Afghanistan.
Harris said in an email interview, “I think that we both have a deep-rooted sense of duty to country and service to our local communities. … We’ve been part of hurricane response preparedness, volcanic eruption and flood relief, and many other projects here in Hawaii over the years.”