$2 More Per Gallon is $2 Less for Food
Photo: Leigh Taylor Photography
By Avery Swanson, Sr. Manager, Fleet Operations
Two dollars more per gallon for gas is like an invasive plant that chokes off everything. It doesn’t just affect driving habits. It snakes its way into the rent, the power bill, the weekend plans.
For too many, such a drastic increase in the cost to fill the tank means buying less at the grocery store. Or buying nothing at the grocery store.
Not surprisingly, the cost of gas is driving up the demand for food at our partner agencies like St. Vincent DePaul.
Our Systems Are Failing Us
The spike in prices over the weekend is a gut punch to all of us. It’s a tragedy for those who already didn’t know where their next meal is coming from. Many of them have not fully recovered from the last government shutdown that paused SNAP benefits – a hit to the family budget not easily resolved.
The systems that could protect us from unforeseeable crises, like war, are not up to the challenge.
- This year’s federal budget transfers much of the burden for food assistance to the states.
- Ohio’s increased cost to provide SNAP benefits is projected to be nearly $540 million – up from $146 million in 2025.
The Solution is Logistics
Last Mile Food Rescue and the network we created — including our 600+ food donors like Kroger and UDF, and food banks and pantries all over the city — are a more reliable solution.
We built the logistics system that moves donated surplus food to the places that feed people.
We will not let our neighbors down
Our mission is to end food insecurity and when demand is up, we work that much harder.
But we’re feeling the squeeze, too. The cost of fuel to keep our fleet on the road is also rising. We are now spending $285 to fill the trucks and almost $149 to keep the vans moving.
But we never charge our non-profit partners for the food we provide or the cost to transport it.
If you can do an extra rescue or send a donation, it would help a lot.
