With temperatures climbing into the upper 90s, sometimes it can feel impossible to stay cool — especially when you don’t have air conditioning.
Helen Paul, 68, a U.S. Postal Service worker in Greenwood for more than 37 years, said she has been without air conditioning in the Greenwood USPS location on East Washington Street for almost three weeks.
“I was so tired of going through it in the last couple of weeks that I called in sick on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,” Paul said. “Every day, someone will tell us the parts are coming in, but it never happens.”
Paul, a clerk at the post office, works throughout the day when temperatures are at their highest. Three other workers in the office are suffering alongside her.
Paul’s duties include selling postal products, waiting on customers and getting mail ready in the mornings for the carriers.
There have been problems with the air conditioning in the past, but they have never persisted for multiple weeks, Paul said.
Helen Paul has had to fill a water jug with ice to deal with the heat at the post office. (By Drew Richardson)
There are box fans and ceiling fans in the post office, but it doesn’t do the workers much good if the air that is being circulated in the building is hot.
Paul said the fans in the building haven’t helped much.
“It’s not even worth it because I have to use a roll of paper towels just wiping sweat all day long,” she said.
Paul said she has repeatedly tried to contact the building’s management, but she has not been told when the problem will be fixed.
She has brought jugs of ice from her home to help alleviate the situation since, she said, there is not much relief at the post office.
“It’s extremely hot. It’s humiliating. It’s horrible,” she said.
Brad Smith, the manager of the former Federal Building, said the property’s owners, who are from California, expect to address the problem when they meet in Greenwood next week.
“We’re also meeting with HVAC people next week and will be evaluating a plan moving forward,” Smith said Friday.
- Contact Drew Richardson at 581-7233 or drichardson@gwcommonwealth.com.
The original version of this article incorrectly reported Helen Paul's age.
