Agencies feel fuel squeeze

Meals on Wheels, transportation assistance and other Sonoma County services geared toward helping the elderly could face cutbacks if gas prices continue to soar, several program managers said Monday.

"We are really feeling the crunch, so much so that we want to go out and see if we can recruit donors to buy electric cars," said Shirlee Zane, CEO of Sonoma County's Council on Aging.

The council's $2 million nutrition program serves more than 1,200 meals daily through senior dining sites and deliveries made via Meals on Wheels.

Zane said the agency is forecasting spending an additional $72,000 this fiscal year on food purchases, which are affected by fluctuations in fuel costs.

That's in addition to higher mileage reimbursements for drivers who deliver the meals to low-income seniors.

As a result, Zane said she is weighing whether to trim administrative hours to try and reduce costs. As yet, there are no plans to cut services, she said.

"The real story here is how painful it is to these seniors who are living on low fixed incomes," Zane said. "Is it (a rise in fuel prices) a threat to senior services? Of course it is."

Nationwide, rising gas prices are forcing agencies to scale back their services to the elderly.

A recent survey by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging found that more than half said they had already cut back on programs because of gas costs, and 90 percent said they expected to make cuts in fiscal year 2009.

Pride Industries, which operates a bus service for the disabled in Sonoma County, is considering consolidating with other programs to avoid disruptions in services, said Mauro Lara, vice president of operations.

He said fuel costs for the non-profit agency have gone up by as much as 50 percent in the past year.

"If we have to cut back drivers and buses, then we have to start talking about cutting routes," Lara said. "We're not at that point yet, but we're certainly headed that way."

You can reach Staff Writer Derek J. Moore at 521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com