RICHMOND, Va. -- April White is feeling frustrated, as she continues to wait for packages to arrive that are long overdue.
"I was expecting it at the end of last week so by Friday when I still didn't have it, I checked tracking and the tracking said it was still in South Carolina," White said.
White has been running her online business for the last decade.
"I make hair bows and headbands and little baby hospital hats," White said. "I have been doing this for 10 years and I have never had anything like this happen before."
White said she relies on the U.S. Postal Service to help ship the supplies she needs, sometimes up to 100 packages a week.
"Not being able to get what I need is causing a backup of my own orders which is also causing Christmas presents to not make it," White said.
But White isn't alone. A spokesperson for the USPS, Richmond District told CBS 6 in a statement, that they're experiencing a historic record amount of holiday volume, along with a temporary employee shortage due to Covid-19.
"In an extraordinary year of unprecedented challenges given the COVID-19 pandemic and a historic record of mail and package volume this holiday season, the Postal Service encourages customers to send their holiday gifts and cards as soon as possible.
We thank our customers for their continued support, and we are committed to making sure gifts and cards are delivered on time to celebrate the holidays. We also thank our 644,000 employees who are working tirelessly throughout these unique conditions to ensure the delivery of holiday gifts and greetings.
While every year the Postal Service carefully plans for peak holiday season, a historic record of holiday volume compounded by a temporary employee shortage due to the COVID-19 surge, and capacity challenges with airlifts and trucking for moving this historic volume of mail are leading to temporary delays. These challenges are being felt by shippers across the board.
We continue to flex our network including making sure the right equipment is available to sort, process and deliver a historic volume of mail and packages this holiday season."
"I feel so bad for the carriers and the people who work in the local post office," White said.
The USPS also said that the week leading up to Christmas is expected to be the busiest during the holiday season.
With Christmas less than a week away, White said she's just holding onto hope that all her shipments come in on time.
"It's one of those things where it is what it is and there's no sense in being upset about something that you have no control over," White said.
You can track your package by clicking here (https://www.usps.com/manage/).
