The Kihei Post Office will extend its hours the next two Saturdays in order to accommodate the rush of customers hoping to send out Christmas packages, the U.S. Postal Service announced Wednesday.

Hours on Saturday and Dec. 18 will be from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Suggested mailing dates for packages sent to the Mainland are Dec. 17 for first-class/priority mail and Dec. 21 for priority express mail.

The holiday rush has also prompted the busiest post offices across the state to begin package delivery in the early morning hours.

“The extended hours and early morning deliveries, along with the hiring of 40,000 seasonal employees nationwide, the installation of new equipment at select locations and the redesign of our transportation network, are special measures that we’ve taken in order to ensure that we’re providing peak customer service during our busiest time of the year,” USPS holiday spokesperson Gaye Ibara said in a news release.

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