Fuel and food prices impact Harry Chapin Food Bank

Rising gas prices are taking a toll on everyone. That includes nonprofits like Harry Chapin Food Bank. But as the cost of food increases as well, that means more people will need help from these nonprofits.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank goes through 3,300 gallons of diesel fuel every month. They have a fleet of 20 trucks, and each one costs more than $1,000 to fill up, says chief development officer Barbara Evans.

“That’s just the costs that we’re incurring on our own fleet of trucks. That says nothing of the cost of the fuel to transport the food that we pay that our providers charge to us.,” Evans said.

She told WINK News that the cost of staying in business is the highest it has ever been. That is mainly because ht price of fuel is also increasing with the price of the food they deliver.

“We’re seeing a double increase in the transportation costs of importing or purchasing the food. We’re also paying 25% more for the food products that we’re having to purchase,” said Evans.

“For each dollar increase that we experienced that the pump results in a $9,000 increase per month for our food bank,” Evans said.

Kathleen Gregoire is a volunteer for Harry Chapin Food Bank. “We take care of each other, and we have to do that with the gas lines. We have to remember that some people have $2 for gas. That’s all they have,” Gregoire said.

Despite the increase in prices, the food bank assures everyone that food will continue to be delivered. “We’re doing a little less in our mobile pantry distributions than we were at the height of the pandemic. And it makes sense; there’s fewer people not willing to wait in a car line eating up their fuel,” said Evans.

“We will do all that we can to ensure that nobody has to go hungry,” Evans said.

Harry Chapin says that no matter the impact prices have on the nonprofit’s budget, they will continue to make things work because the need for help is so high.