Heat was out at the Sheila Jennings Recreation Center for at least 10 days before Chattanooga Housing Authority officials answered a call for repairs, center officials said.
“You see how cold it is? I’ve still got my coat on,” said volunteer Gwendolyn Terry.
She is one of nearly 100 people a day who weathered the almost heatless Poplar Street building in the midst of the chilly temperatures over the past two weeks.
A recreation center member called in the repair on Monday after returning from vacation, but it was two days later on Wednesday before maintenance answered the call, center officials said.
“We just seem to be stepchildren,” said Gloria Griffith, a Westside resident who comes to the center to pick up children and attend community meetings. “You keep telling people you’re coming. The next day comes and the next day comes, but no one came.”