ST. GEORGE, Utah (KUTV) — One of Utah Food Bank’s highest costs is delivering food, and the rise in gas prices is making it need more community support.
“It’s a very real concern, what the cost of gas does to an organization like ours,” said Jacob Miner, director for the Utah Food Bank Southern Distribution Center. “It becomes concerning how we’re going to collect those funds, and we do become reliant on the community.”
The Southern Utah Distribution Center said summer is a time where more families need support, not having school meals. However, there’s a twofold issue — higher gas prices are harder on rural residents driving to get support and on food banks trying to bring it to them.
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Chrastopher Wulff says food banks were crucial to avoid homelessness in rural Idaho, but they can be hard to access.
“I’ve been in situations where I didn’t have the food or the resources to get food for my family, and we went to places like this. It was A, paying rent, or B, going without food,” Wulff said. “I grew up in the country, so it’s harder. It’s hard for people that don’t make enough income to get to places like this.”
Utah Food Bank tries to curb this issue by supplying 35 pantries, 13 mobile pantries, and more than 100 sites in southwest Utah.
“Accessibility is huge,” Miner said. “In some of these areas, there’s not even a grocery store, let alone a pantry. A good example would be Beryl, Utah. There’s not even a brick-and-mortar store, let alone a pantry out there. Folks like that are in need, and it’s absolutely valuable that we get out there and get them access to food.”
While this takes the gas price strain away from community members, it brings it to the pantry, with some remote areas being several hours away.
“It’s very far-reaching, and it’s a lot of miles on our truck,” Miner said. “When you look at the cost of gas with a box truck carrying in meals for kids, it puts quite an extra strain on us.”
Miner says if gas prices continue to rise into the summer, there is concern about how they will collect enough funds.
“There’s always the risk that our costs would impact some of our programs,” Miner said. “As they continue to rise, obviously that’s a big portion of our costs. We can’t bring food to rural Utah without these trucks, and so it’s a large concern. We’re fortunate that we live in such a great community that we do, and our community has always stepped up in the past, and we are heavily reliant on them, and hopefully they can help us this summer.”
Miner asks businesses to consider having a food and fun drive or for community members to help with giving time, money or food.
Volunteer Londyn Ivers is stepping up.
“For me, there’s not a lot I can give, but I can give my time and my attention to those who need it,” Ivers said. “I want to be in a community that helps people, and we all have the same purpose.”
Utah Food Bank is working to get free summer meals to kids across 14 sites in southern Utah and 73 statewide. Meals are free to anyone under 18. To locate the closest site, visit utahfoodbank.org.
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