Thousands of people in the Twin Cities received a card this week, notifying them of changing mail routes and shuffled carriers—all part of a plan by the struggling U.S. Postal Service.

With fewer people mailing letters and packages, the U.S. Postal Service—which is on target to possibly lose $7 billion this year—has made drastic changes.

For St. Paul mail carrier Tom Lang, the change means losing friends. He's walked certain city neighborhoods for five years.

He says he cherishes his interactions with people like Nancy Schmitz, who has multiple sclerosis and depends on a wheelchair.

"It's not easy not getting in and out to the door to the mail," Schmitz explained.

But Lang has been a bright spot in her daily routine, especially after their memorable first meeting.

"I fell and heard him putting the mail in. I screamed tom help and he was here in a second. Every day from then on, he would deliver the mail inside for me," she said.

But Lang and Schmitz's connection abruptly ended with budget cuts at the postal service, which says its volume has lost 28 billion pieces of mail this year.

"Because there is less mail, routes are becoming longer in order to make work load fit that eight hour day that our mail carriers are working," said Postal Service spokesman Pete Nowacki.

While the route changes may save a dollar here and there, some people's lives have changed because of something as simple as a letter.