Fuel cost forcing cuts at charities

Two service organizations on P.E.I. are finding different ways to deal with rising fuel costs: One is raising charges, the other is cutting services.

'We're spending several thousand more dollars than what we ordinarily had budgeted.' — Trent Costello, Pat and the Elephant

Derrick Barrow of the Salvation Army in Charlottetown told CBC News Tuesday his organization has halved  the number of deliveries of things such as used furniture to clients.

"Generally, that's what we do, but of course I can't do as much of that as I would like these days because it's too expensive travelling around the city," Barrow said.

Pat and Elephant, which provides transportation for the physically challenged in the Charlottetown area, has had to take a different approach. Cutting its only service is not seen as an option.

"We're transportation," Trent Costello said, adding fuel costs are creating serious problems: "If we're spending several thousand more dollars than what we ordinarily had budgeted for, then it hurts."

The non-profit group has watched its fuel costs double over the last five years, and it is tens of thousand dollars in debt. Given that, Costello said, prices will be increasing by $1 per ride.

Costello hopes that will keep the vans on the road, while not hurting many of its fixed-income customers.