This post is part of a series chronicling news coverage of rising gas prices in the United States. See more here.
Atlanta News First reports that a local food bank and other food distribution nonprofits are struggling with rising gas prices
Reporter: “High gas prices will continue to limit how many people the food bank and other nonprofits can help”
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Citation
From a May 4, 2026, video uploaded to the YouTube channel of Atlanta News First
ADAM MURPHY (REPORTER): As gas prices continue to go up, consumer confidence appears to be going down. According to AAA, the average price for regular unleaded in Georgia is now $3.85 a gallon, while diesel has climbed above five dollars Those high costs are putting a strain on organizations like the Atlanta Community Food Bank, which relies on a fleet of trucks to distribute food across the region.
KENNY HILL (ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK): We have a fleet of thirty trucks that we keep on the road to service over seven hundred community partners.
MURPHY: The food bank says their fuel costs have jumped 28%, adding about three thousand dollars to their monthly expenses, money that could have gone directly to helping families.
HILL: We usually can afford to pay for our fleet with $10,000 a month in fuel, But 28% on top of that, you're reaching $13,000 a month in fuel, and that's those are dollars that we had planned to use on food to serve our neighbors.
MURPHY: Officials say the extra cost translates into about 9,000 meals they can't provide each month. The nonprofit says diesel prices are especially tough and they're urging state leaders to keep the gas tax suspension in place.
HILL: We need that to continue. We're paying over $4.35 per gallon diesel at the lowest price. If the tax was on top of that, we're well over $5 a gallon.
MURPHY: The impact is also being felt at Open Hand, an Atlanta nonprofit that delivers medically tailored meals. The organization says fuel costs have risen by 44% for them since December, pushing their monthly fuel expenses to about $10,000. And that doesn't include volunteers who use their own vehicles and pay for their own gas to help deliver meals five days a week. And back at the food bank, leaders say rising fuel costs could affect their ability to keep up with demand.
HILL: Over 70% of our food comes from donated sources, so we can't afford to let the fuel stand in the way of us receiving those food donations.
MURPHY: And high gas prices will continue to limit how many people the food bank and other nonprofits can help unless they go down.