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High gas prices have hit a charity program hard and are forcing volunteers to stop serving elderly Utahns.
Meals on Wheels organizations across the country, and locally, are struggling. Volunteers are being forced to stop because they simply can't afford the gas.
The volunteers in Brigham City not only serve that city, but the surrounding towns as well. Some drive up to 40 miles a week. Since they pay for the gas themselves, it's becoming too costly for some to handle.
For 13 years Nancy Green has helped pack up meals and deliver them to people like Joan Smith. "It is such a welcome part of my life. The meals are great, and I have their friendship," Smith said.
But the successful Brigham City program is starting to suffer due to high gas prices. "We've had about six volunteers that have had to quit because of the cost of gas," Green said. She's the program coordinator for Meals on Wheels in Brigham City.
Volunteers pay for their own gas. For some, it's meant giving up extras in their own lives.
Others are worried they won't be able to keep up at all and will simply have to stop. "It's hard because these people depend on you to get to their homes, and to help them," volunteer Mergie Jensen said.
"They told me it's hard for them, but they want to keep coming out," Green said.
Smith now sells her embroidery to raise money for Meals on Wheels. She says she wants to help the organization that's helped her so much. "They're just like a second family to me," she said.
The program coordinators vow they will get those meals to those citizens no matter what. They're currently looking at several different fundraising efforts, and they say they've already received the donation of a couple of gas cards -- but those are gone as quickly as they arrive.
The latest report from AAA Utah says the state is seeing new records in high gas prices nearly every day.
A gallon of regular now costs an average of $4.14 a gallon. That's the highest price ever recorded in our state. It's also 16 cents above last month's price and $1.04 more than last year.
The national average price is $4.11 a gallon.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
