AUGUSTA, GA (WFXG) -
As gas prices continue to climb near or above $3.50 a gallon, and diesel prices skyrocket well over $4.00, drivers on CSRA roadways are feeling the pressure.
But those feeling it the most in our community may be the ones who give back the most.
"You know, it gets pretty costly," says Golden Harvest Food Bank Product Procurement Manager Craig Garner.
Golden Harvest operates six delivery trucks daily, and while most of them run locally, two are used to make long runs, to Atlanta and upstate South Carolina, a few times a week.
"At six or seven miles a gallon, you do the math," says Garner. "It adds up."
Garner says the high costs of gasoline have forced Golden Harvest to re-consider how they distribute and deliver food throughout the CSRA.
"We've had to do more consolidating of our routes from last year," he says. "We've had to take a better look at how we run our routes just to make sure we're running the routes as best we can, as cost-effective as we can."
Other non-profit organizations, such as The Salvation Army, are feeling the heat at the pump as well.
The Salvation Army uses vehicles for several different reasons, from donation pickup to job skills programs.
"When gas goes up to four dollars or whatever it is, it certainly hurts our bottom line," says Salvation Army of Augusta Community Relations Manager Anthony Esposito.
And both groups say times like these are when donors are needed more than ever.
"We're heavily dependant on donors and contributing to the costs of running the food bank," says Garner. "That means even that much more money is needed."
"Even though higher gas prices means it's harder on everybody else, it's also harder on us," says Esposito. "The more people give, the more we are able to do."
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