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65 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, September 12, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 26, 2004 Gas prices might hurt meal deliveries A local agency that delivers meals to seniors says it’s hard to find volunteers to drive when gas prices go up By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Higher prices at the gas pump could mean fewer home-delivered meals for frail and elderly Southern Oregon residents. As average Oregon unleaded gas prices top $2.32 a gallon — up nearly 70 cents from a year ago — officials at Food & Friends, a local meal-delivery agency, worry that fewer volunteers and higher costs could cut into services for seniors. "It’s really difficult to attract people to volunteer to drive," program coordinator Evelyn Kinsella said Tuesday. "It’s definitely going to be an obstacle if this continues." About 100 Food & Friends volunteers deliver 160,000 meals a year to some 600 seniors in Jackson and Josephine counties. Kinsella said some routes may have to be changed or consolidated if high gas prices deter volunteers from joining. No cuts in deliveries are planned now, however, she said. But Kinsella noted that a shortage of drivers has prompted the agency to take meals to a central community center at a senior apartment complex in Talent instead of delivering them door-to-door. Advertisement "The tenants either come to the recreation room or I take the food to them," said Jenny Patino, manager of the Patio Village complex. "The volunteers have dwindled down." Volunteers drive their own cars to deliver meals to homebound clients. They’re reimbursed for gas at a rate of 32.5 cents per mile, and they drive about 100,000 miles a year total, Kinsella said. That reimbursement costs the agency about $2,600 a month or about $31,000 a year, even considering volunteers who don’t accept the repayment. With gas prices up in Oregon and across the country, Kinsella’s fuel budget is burgeoning. On Tuesday, the average price nationwide for a gallon of regular gasoline was $2.05. In Oregon, regular gas was $2.37 a gallon, up from $1.54 last May. The hike in gas prices could deter potential volunteers, Kinsella said. "There’s a constant turnover," said Kinsella, who figures she recruits five new people a month. But volunteers like Medford resident Paula Assali, who delivers meals one day a week, say the higher gas costs won’t cut into their commitment. Assali stopped accepting reimbursement for her trips a couple of years ago, when state support for agencies like Food & Friends was threatened. "I have a friend who delivers two days a week," said Assali. "We’re both still committed; we’re not giving up." To volunteer for Food & Friends, or for more information, call 664-6676, Ext. 222. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities