Lithonia post office closes abruptly, raising community concern

LITHONIA, GA—The Lithonia Post Office at 3035 Stone Mountain Street has closed without warning, leaving customers bewildered, On Common Ground News has learned.  

The facility is usually bustling with customers, often with them forming long lines to mail packages and obtain other counter services. On Friday, a succession of customers turned around after reading a note posted on the facility’s front door. Others walked in to pick up mail from their P.O. boxes, asking one another what happened to the staff.

The note posted on the facility’s front door stated:

“WE ARE NOW CLOSED DUE TO LACK OF STAFF. WE APPOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. SINCERELY, LITHONIA POST OFFICE.”

 Although the note did not state whether the facility is permanently closed,  Postmaster David Steiner had warned Congress in March that the United States Postal Service(USPS) was on track to run out of cash for paying its workers and vendors by 2027. 

Financial problems have plagued the USPS for years as the federal government agency, which relies on postage sales and service fees, increasingly lost billions of dollars as it struggled to stay afloat. 

“I am not sure that the American public is aware that the Postal Service is at a critical juncture. I know that I wasn’t aware of the extent of it before I took on this role, but at our current run rate and if we continue to pay our required obligations in the same manner as we have done in recent years, then we will be out of cash in less than 12 months,” Steiner, who joined USPS in July 2025 said in a statement ahead of the House Oversight subcommittee hearing in March.

Lithonia City Councilmember Darold Honore, reached today (May 16) at his insurance agency located on Main Street about half mile from the post office, said the City Council was not made aware of the closing. 

“I am surprised by this. Shocked, really. I think it’s a big loss for the community, if this is the end. No one from the post office reached out to city officials to my knowledge to let us know it was closing,” said Honore, adding that he would contact Mayor Shameka Reynolds immediately.  “This is definitely going to impact those, especially elderly residents, who rely on the post office.” 

Community activist Faye Coffield, who lives in the nearby City of Stonecrest, said she discovered the Lithonia post office was closed on Thursday when she arrived at an empty parking lot and found the note posted on the front door. 

“I knew something was up as soon as I drove into the parking lot and it was empty. This is a mess. A lot of people use that post office and for it to just close without any warning doesn’t make any sense, said Coffield, adding that she was going to have to drive farther away to the main United States Post Office in Atlanta to mail off a package.   

The Lithonia post office has longed served as more than just a place to buy stamps and mail letters and packages and several former city officials have advocated to keep it open including Marcia Glenn, who served as mayor from 1995 to 2003. The historic post office has been a source of pride and a deeply-rooted part of the City of Lithonia, where an estimated 2,600 residents call home.

In 2008, the postal facility was named in honor of Army Specialist Jamaal Rashard Addison, the first soldier from Georgia to be killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson introduced legislation to permanently honor Addison’s sacrifice and service to the nation in response to his mother’s efforts to honor her son.  

Addison, 22, was killed on March 23, 2003 during an enemy ambush near Nasiriyah, Iraq. The Jamaal Rashard Addison Lithonia facility ensured that his legacy would remain visible in the community where his family lived. 

The Lithonia post office also made history when Sukisha Kilgore became the first woman appointed postmaster in the postal facility’s more than 71-year history. During her swearing-in ceremony on Feb. 15, 2020, Kilgore became the ninth postmaster to oversee operations of the facility, managing about 120 employees at that time.   

As questions swirl concerning the Lithonia post office, On Common Ground News has reached out to Congressman Johnson for answers. Representatives from Johnson’s office said they would circle back early next week. Check back for updates at ocgnews.com.