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The UPS Worldport in Louisville is playing a vital role in the distribution of the newly approved COVID-19 vaccine.

Just days after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was approved for emergency use, the first shipments are being sent to cities across the country from a warehouse in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The first truck full of the vaccine rolled into the UPS facility Monday to be unloaded, sorted, loaded onto planes and flown out for delivery.

On Friday, the FDA approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use in the U.S. It’s a one-shot vaccine as opposed to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are both two shots, given weeks apart.

UPS played an integral part in getting the previous vaccines sent around the country after those were approved. Spokeswoman Michelle Polk said they’re excited to be a part of it for the third time.

Roland Farabee Jr. says he’s just doing his job, delivering packages to the residents of Jamesford Meadows.

Katie Gummerson, however, says he brings much more.

“He is just always smiling. He loves kids. He always honks at them. He loves dogs. He leaves a milk bone on every package, and he’s just a joy to be around, and he just makes you feel happy,” Gumerson says.

That’s why she and her neighbors got together to surprise Farabee with a “tunnel of love.”

They made signs, shirts, and parked along the road so he could drive through, with everyone cheering him on.

NC Central basketball coach LeVelle Moton stresses the importance of giving back to the community — he’s known for his backpack giveaways and now, he’s making sure frontline workers know they are appreciated even a year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, Moton and his foundation, Velle Cares, teamed with UPS to provide nurses at the WakeMed Brier Creek Emergency Department with 100 meals from Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

“I’ve been blessed to be around some extraordinary people,” Moton said. “Now that I do have a platform, I want to use my platform to be a blessing to everyone else.”

UPS has increased its need for workers as its shipping volume continues to soar.

The shipping giant is hosting a virtual hiring Blitz on March 6. To handle the high volume of applicants, anyone interested can apply online for the package handler position by clicking here and selecting a virtual interview spot.

Officials say interview times are expected to fill quickly.

Carol Tomé took over United Parcel Service Inc. in the middle of a pandemic that has sent demand for its services soaring. She’s teaching the delivery giant how to say no.

The longtime finance chief of Home Depot Inc. and first outsider to lead UPS is remaking the company in her number-crunching image, in part by adopting the philosophy that delivering less can be more. And she is using the urgency created by the crisis to revamp its business model in months, not years.