Charities feel gas price pinch
www.sun-herald.com 03/14/03
NORTH PORT -- The rise in gas prices has led to troubled budgetary times for some local charities.
Dan Dunn, executive director of the All Faiths Food Bank said that his charitable organization, which drives supplies to churches and other nonprofit food pantries throughout Sarasota County, allotted $900 for fuel in February and spent $1,200.
Dunn said the spike in gas prices, exacerbated by the oil strike in Venezuela and the potential war with Iraq, has left the charity in the unenviable position of having to mount fund-raising efforts at a time of widespread economic downturn.
"In a budget crunch, you either increase revenue or cut services," Dunn said. "In our business, you can't cut services. We have to deliver food to hungry people."
Patsy French, spokeswoman for Goodwill Industries-Manasota said that charity spent $55,000 on fuel, including gasoline and diesel fuel, in 2002. Through February, she said the organization has seen a 20-percent rise in fuel costs compared to the first two months of 2002.
"If we're looking at that over a year, that could increase our prices by $10,000 to $12,000," French said. "That's a lot of program money."
French said at Goodwill, all programs and operational costs, such as fuel, are self-funded. Because of this, when more money goes to fuel costs, she said there is less funding for the organization's housing, educational and job training and placement programs. She said so far this year, donations are up six percent over the same time period last year, but the increase is not nearly enough to cover the rise in gas costs.
John Wrublevski, president of North Port's Friends In Service Here said gas costs have further aggravated that charitable organization's shortage of volunteer drivers. Wrublevski said FISH, which chauffeurs local residents who cannot drive themselves to doctor's appointments and grocery stores, has had to do some budget tightening to keep serving the community. He said the group has had to ask drivers to volunteer one day a week without any reimbursement, cut mileage reimbursement from 25 cents a mile to 15 cents a mile, and informed the residents the volunteers can only transport them to one doctor's appointment each week.
"The gas thing has presented a serious problem," Wrublevski said. "Right now, people are telling us that it costs them more for gas than we are paying them. We've lost a few drivers who say they can't afford this."
While Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers do not see any mileage or gas reimbursement, the directors of the Venice and North Port chapters said they have not seen fewer volunteers because of the rising gas costs. Norman Miller, executive director of the Venice Meals on Wheels said that chapter currently has 140 drivers. But Miller said the U.S. military build-up around Iraq, a portent of a war which could drive gas prices higher, is a cause of concern.
"If we have a war over there, we'll have a problem," he said.
Charities may be contacted at the following phone numbers:
North Port Goodwill (941) 423-0987 North Port FISH (941) 426-4114 All Faiths Food Bank (941) 379-6333 North Port Meals on Wheels (941) 426-4628 Venice Meals on Wheels (941) 488- 1889
You can e-mail Chris Curry at ccurry@sun-herald.com By CHRIS CURRY Staff Writer