As a registered food agency, we deliver to sober living homes, group homes, halfway homes for released prisoners, battered women's shelters, and then a whole slew of families and individuals. Usually those living in low income apartments, broken down homes or motels that rent by the hour or the week.
During the best of times, our biggest expense is actually the gasoline on our Ford E350 cargo van. Which is needed to pick up all the tons - literal tons - of free food we get from charities, grocery stores and the USDA each month. It gets 12 miles per gallon. But that's highway. If we assume the highway is on a steep downhill grade, the road is icy and a gale force wind is behind me!
Other than that, I'd be frightened to figure out what it really gets per gallon, in town. Which is the only thing I use it for. In town food deliveries. There's a church that gives me $80 a month to defray the gas cost. That doesn't pay for the gas, that defrays the total cost, which is much greater.
In my whole life, before the food pantry, I ran out of gas once. Since the food pantry deliveries a few years back, I've lost track of how many times I've ran out.
Now, due no doubt to us messing with some oil nation, gas prices are at $2.00 a gallon, or even a bit below $2. But due to the Corona virus and panic buying, deliveries are massively up. Today, for instance, as I write this, there are deliveries I could make, but I'm grounded, as there is literally no gas or money for gas.
We're getting some money - hopefully - tomorrow. Money we had expected to get today, and come to think of it, we still might not get tomorrow! If it does come, that will let us go pick up yet more food from two local grocery stores. And deliver to three halfway homes for released prisoners, a motel in which 70% of those who stay there avail themselves of our services, half a dozen regulars, and one recent addition, a woman who lost her job as the schools and daycares are closed, and she must stay home and watch the kids. And the ever dwindling refrigerator because her two kids persistently still eat!
She's hardly the only one hit. Many job losses - and in the professions that pay the least. Yeah, like restaurant workers. And then to add to the difficulty of all the newly unemployed clients waiting that "First week nothing" policy, there's all the panic buying that is making it hard for those who do have some funds to find the stuff they need to buy. Because some rich guy, who's never suffered a day in his life, or prepared for any disaster, just had to go buy $200 worth of Charmin, $200 worth of bottled water, and at his wife's suggestion, $500 worth of diapers.
Well, he's fine now, not that he was ever in any danger. But those who have a bit of money, but not much, or who got to the store late - they aren't fine. But since the shortage is artificial, pantries like ours, who have no trouble ordering food and toiletries by the metric ton, can make up the difference. Except for the gas. "Gas Pantries" don't, unfortunately, exist, though how cool would that be?
Are you waiting for the pitch? Well, you just read it. We need gas. That is, money for gas. Oh, not as a regular thing, though that'd sure be nice if I could find another $80 a month donor. But for the literal immediacy of the moment in this time of artificially induced demand. We need $50. It will, with care, get us through the next eight day period, from tomorrow's pick up to the next Thursday after that.
We're at 217-720-2568. If that's something you can aid in, know that never will $50 go so far as this does. We're talking about 75 or so people, most all with families, who will benefit from it. A darn good return on the invested donation. And if you read this later, and the week has already came and gone, don't worry!
There's always another week, another 75 plus people, more need! Jesus did not lie when He told us that the poor we will always have with us! $50 can, at any time, aid us in getting the food - and toilet paper! - out to those who have real need for it.
Oh, and if any locals are reading this - in the Springfield area - are in need, or lacking some essential supplies, please, call us! We'll figure something out!
