Some senior citizens who live in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood ventured out in the brutal cold Friday in hope of retrieving their mail after going weeks without it being delivered.
Resident Marcella Heard, who along with others headed to the post office at West 65th Street and South Ashland Avenue, told NBC 5 she was waiting on a check to pay her bills.
"This is my second time coming up here trying to retrieve mail," she said. "This is unbelievable. I don't understand."
Elijah Harper, 90, said he had no choice but to go to the post office in the dangerous cold.
"I ain't got no mail since Jan. 26," he said.
Some residents said that once they got inside the post office, they had to wait approximately 45 minutes to an hour.
"I'm very frustrated, very frustrated," said one resident. "This is ridiculous."
Local
Ald. Stephanie Coleman, who represents Chicago's 16th Ward, is one of three South Side alderman calling on the U.S. Postal Service and federal lawmakers to fix the delays.
Complaints about no mail delivery have increased in the past few weeks, Coleman said.
The USPS apologized for the disruption, writing that there were staff shortages at the location, and they were bringing in extra resources. The statement goes on to say it's also been challenged by the recent accumulation of snow and asked customers to keep areas near their mailboxes clear of ice and snow.
The full statement from Tim Norman, USPS spokesman for the Chicago District, is below:
"We apologize for the disruption in service at the Post Office Station located at 6559 S. Ashland. We have experienced staff shortages at this location and are currently using available resources to match the workload created by the impacts of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This includes bringing in extra resources at this location. We have also been challenged by the recent accumulation of snow in our region and ask customers to keep the approaches to their mailboxes clear of ice and snow. We appreciate the patience of our customers and the efforts of employees as conditions change on a day-to-day basis.
Mail delivery is ongoing from the Ashland location. We encourage customers that have a concern with their mail delivery, questions about specific pieces of mail, and or other service issues to contact their local Postal station or our Consumer Affairs office at 312-983-8403. The Postal Service will diligently continue to investigate customer's concerns and correct deficiencies to improve service to our communities."
