The possible closure of their post office will mean more than a loss of jobs for residents of Melrose.

The US Postal Service has announced a list of post offices due to close by year-end, which will inevitably mean layoffs for postal workers.

Photo by Alex Robinson

The Melcourt Post Office, situated on Melrose Ave, is one of the branches facing the axe. This could mean the two main employees of the branch could lose their jobs, but Branch Manager Tinka Williams is not worried. “I have 20-something years in, so they have to find me some place. They can’t just lay me off,” said Williams.

Williams said she is more concerned about how the branch closure will affect the residents of the neighborhood.

“It’s a bad thing for the area, because we have a lot of elderly people around here and they need this. This is close to them, and easy to get to,” she said.

With the closure, elderly residents of Melrose will find themselves without somewhere to do essential things such as paying bills.

Ethel Griffith, a 63-year-old retiree of the community said she is at a loss as to how she will cope without it.

“I send my checks for my rent, my check for my light and gas, my cable. I send my checks from here,” she said.

For the many residents living under the poverty line in Melrose, using the Internet to carry out these functions is not an easy option, as few have Internet access at home.

Proximity is a big issue for the elderly in Melrose, said Williams. Without the Melrose branch nearby, some will have to travel all the way over to the 149th and Grand Concourse branch.

“Please, please don’t close the post office. Leave something for us. Do something for us, please,” pleaded Griffith.

If your local post office closes, how will it affect you?