High gas prices strain Detroit's hungry and food banks ahead of midterm elections
USO•Higher fuel costs are making it harder for lower-income Detroit residents to reach food donations and are raising food banks’ delivery expenses as demand grows. Focus: Hope now delivers 1,300 monthly food boxes to low-income seniors, up from 800 at the start of the year.
1. Rising need in Detroit
Focus: Hope delivers food boxes to lower-income seniors, many of whom can no longer afford to travel to pickup points as gas prices rise. Tonya King, a 65-year-old grandmother, received a box intended to feed her household of six for two weeks; she said she must choose between seizure and diabetes medication.
2. Costs pressure food banks
Across the United States, higher diesel prices have raised food delivery costs while inflation and cuts to federal food assistance have increased demand. The Central California Food Bank said its diesel spending rose 61% from July through September compared with the same period a year ago, redirecting funds equivalent to about 250,000 meals.
3. Affordability and voting
The cost of living is a central concern for voters ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Nearly half of registered voters nationwide cited it as the most important factor in their midterm vote, according to a recent poll. In Michigan's Senate race, Abdul El-Sayed has focused his campaign on living costs and healthcare, while Mike Rogers has called for suspending state and federal gas taxes and introducing tax cuts.
