Jon Ballard, Yankee Trace’s beloved UPS driver, has delivered more than packages during his 26-year career—he's delivered joy, friendship, and a little magic, especially to the neighborhood’s youngest residents. With a familiar brown truck and a smile that brightens anyone’s day, Jon has become a fixture in the community, known for his hard work and genuine connection with the people on his route.

 

"My husband is the Yankee Trace UPS driver," Erin Ballard shared on Facebook in August. "A little boy was following him around on a bike today and asked, ‘Do you have any packages for me?’ Jon said, ‘Not for you, but I have one for your neighbor.’ The boy then asked, ‘How do you know where I live?’ And Jon replied, ‘Blake, I know everything.’" Erin couldn't help but add the hashtag #HEISTHEREALSANTA.

 

According to Jon, the little boy was Blake, a second-grader who often trails his truck on a Razor scooter. "He follows me around the neighborhood, and when I have to cross into another subdivision, I tell him, 'You better head home,'" Jon explains. 

 

Having worked at UPS since 1998, Jon didn’t always plan to be a delivery driver. "I started while I was in college, working part-time loading and unloading trucks," Jon remarks. "I wasn’t thinking about becoming a driver; I had ambitions elsewhere." But UPS turned into something more. With seniority, benefits, and a steady route, Jon found a job he loved. "I like being outside and meeting people, and the job has opened a lot of doors," he emphasizes.

 

Jon and his wife, Erin, moved to the area in 2005, buying a house that Jon had admired while working a UPS pickup in the area. "I told my wife, 'I love this area, and I’d like to live here.'" They found their home on the outskirts of Yankee Trace and settled in, raising their two children, Brookelyn and Brayden.

 

Jon became the go-to UPS driver for about four to five neighborhoods in the area, but his heart belongs to Yankee Trace. "When I first started, I ran some rougher routes, but as I gained seniority, I aimed for this one," he says. Now, with more than two decades of experience, Jon has built relationships with nearly every household in the neighborhood. He's a friend, a familiar face, and sometimes a helper with neighborhood events.

Jon is also a favorite among furry friends. "Our dogs love him," Kacey Mehan notes. Sarah and Ray Miller’s pup, Bexley, gets excited when Jon pulls up and comes to the door, as does the Gaydosh family’s Chloe, and one neighborhood German Shepherd jumps into the truck with Jon and rides up to the house with him. "It scared me the first time, but now it’s just part of the routine," Jon laughs. Jon and Lindsay Miller's dog, Penny, also regularly greets Jon.

 

Despite the hectic pace of the job, especially during the holiday season, Jon loves his role, and spreading a little extra holiday cheer warms his heart. One of the highlights of Jon’s career came during the holiday rush when his dad, a retired mail carrier, joined him as a helper. "UPS used to let us run golf cart operations out of the house,” Jon mentions. “My dad, who was a mail carrier for 43 years, would help me deliver in a golf cart. Those were some of the best moments at work, especially at Christmas. He didn’t do it for the money—he just enjoyed the moment." Now 76, Jon’s dad has stepped back, and this holiday season, Jon’s daughter, Brookelyn, is ready to continue the family tradition.

 

UPS believes that everyone has the power to make a positive impact, and serving others contributes to the collective good, moving everyone forward. Jon Ballard embodies this mission in Yankee Trace, where his presence has become a lasting gift to everyone he meets