Meals on Wheels Hit Hard by Fuel Prices

The cost of gas has hit every sector of the economy, and charitable services are not immune. Meals on Wheels, a program that delivers food to incapacitated or less-mobile senior citizens, is feeling the pinch in two ways.

First of all, the price of food has risen, so the organization is spending more on the meals than it's bringing in. Second, the cost of fuel is making all those trips to homes unaffordable. Rather than warm meals, some operations are making do by delivering one warm meal along with several frozen ones for later in the week.

One operation in Albuquerque, N.M., told reporters that its costs of operation were rising on a weekly basis. Furthermore, the number of volunteers has dropped off as well, perhaps due in part to the cost of getting to and from the different operations. With visits cut down to only a few times a week, seniors who have little outside contact have become increasingly vulnerable.

Economic Double-Whammy Hits Meals on Wheels (KRQE.com)