Rising gas prices are adding up for volunteer drivers in St. Johns, but the cost isn't enough to stop them from serving their community.
- St. Johns volunteer Les Warner delivers 100-120 free meals every Tuesday through Good News Kitchen.
- Rising gas prices are adding to the cost of volunteering, but Warner says it's not enough to make him stop.
- Good News Kitchen serves over 600 free meals a week to neighbors in need.
WATCH: Gas prices strain St. Johns volunteer meal delivery drivers
Les Warner has spent the past couple of years keeping the same weekly routine: delivering meals to neighbors in need through Good News Kitchen, a program that serves over 600 free meals a week.
"We love it, it's fun. We get to meet a lot of people and a lot of people really need the help," Warner said.
Warner estimates he uses about three gallons of gas during his two-hour delivery route each week.
"Every Tuesday we deliver somewhere between 100-120 meals," Warner said.
With gas prices climbing, Warner said the cost is hard to ignore, even if it hasn't been enough to make him stop.
"As it goes up, it makes you think. You know? It really does. So far, it hasn't bothered us enough to wanna stop doing it," Warner said.
Good News Kitchen Pastor Jim Pearl said the deliveries are critical for residents who can't get meals on their own.
"It is wonderful because the people that are receiving the lunches depend on having them delivered because they either have transportation issues or mobility issues," Pearl said.
To keep volunteering, Warner said he and others are making cuts elsewhere.
"We don't go out to eat as much as we used to. Everybody has to cut back a little bit with all this stuff," Warner said.
Warner said helping neighbors in need makes those sacrifices worthwhile, even as fuel costs continue to climb.
"There's no other choice. We all drive and we all go places and it all costs money," Warner said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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