Canoga Park Post Office to Clear Backlog

The devastating Northridge earthquake rendered many homeless, without a place to go. Families. Pets. Even birthday cards.

The Canoga Park post office has a shelf holding more than 12,000 pieces of mail--from personal letters to disaster-aid checks--all addressed to apartment dwellers who have fled their quake-damaged buildings, but have not filed a change-of-address.

Usually, the post office holds mail addressed to people who have moved for one month. But the Canoga Park office was among those that changed their policy to accommodate the large number of people who have either left town since the quake or still do not have a permanent address.

But that “postal amnesty” will end Sept. 30. After that, postal authorities say any mail that has not been picked up or forwarded will be returned to the sender stamped with the message: “Moved--left no address.”

“We can’t keep warehousing people’s mail (forever),” Canoga Park Postmaster Michael Madrigal said. He has had to hire an extra person just to accommodate all the people who come in to pick up their mail over the counter.

Hermes Sosa, a window clerk, said he takes care of about 300 such customers a day. “Most of them are living with friends and family. But some are (living) in parked cars,” Sosa said.

“A lot of people just took off and didn’t leave messages with anyone,” Madrigal said.

He has asked Canoga Park postal workers to ask around in an attempt to find out where the people may have gone. “It’s scary that we don’t know where they are,” Madrigal said.

He urged any displaced quake victims who have not filed a change of address form to do so as soon as possible.

The forms are available at all post offices and can be dropped into the nearest mailbox.