SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio non-profit organizations dependent on heavy use of transportation are feeling the impacts of rising gas prices. But overall their mission to help serve the public has not been dramatically affected.
Meals on Wheels San Antonio is among the organizations experiencing the hefty gas bills, not just for volunteer delivery drivers but the partnered-vendors which aid in distributing products.
“This is one that we’ll soldier on through as we always do,” said Vinsen Faris, CEO of Meals on Wheels San Antonio.”
Meals on Wheels San Antonio prepares and hand-delivers food packages to more than 4,500 people throughout Bexar County each week.
Rising gas prices combined with a 22% jump in food costs since the start of the pandemic spells an expensive recipe for carrying out services.
“It’s going to hurt. We have not budgeted for significant fuel increases this year, so we’re having to go back and see where we can tighten up what we can do to help take care of this increased expense,” Vinsen said.
The ballooning fuel costs are reflected on the recent of the bill of Ride Connect Texas, a non-profit providing transportation to older adults with disabilities. Most of the clientele resides in the south, southwest, and southeast areas of town, which is half of San Antonio.
Ride Connect Texas is currently averaging nearly 300 miles per day per vehicles compared to 125 miles per day in the past.
“We’re averaging 42 cents a mile that we are paying right now for our fuel when about a month and a half ago, it was averaging 15 cents a mile,” said Dr. Amanda Villarreal, executive director of Ride Connect Texas.
Not only is Ride Connect Texas coping with expensive prices at the pump, there’s an ongoing challenge to meet the surge in demand of ride requests.
“Every day we’re getting calls for new clients. Every single day,” Villarreal said.
The absence of enough ADA-accessible vehicles is leading to riders being turned away.
"Our clients are not able to be accommodated with a ride. Some of them are even calling us right from their doctor’s office as they’re leaving one appointment. They’re calling us from there to book the next appointment to make sure that they get an available slot for a ride,” Villarreal said.
But Villarreal emphasized she’s determined to overcome these challenges and continuing to accommodate the public as best as the organization can during these dire times.
“We have to keep operating. They need those rides.”