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Home  / News & Publications /  Michigan Catholic News / 2008 /  Pain at the pump: Wallets pinched, but not hearts

by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published July 25, 2008

Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic Higher gas prices have curtailed pick-ups by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Detroit — Record-high gasoline prices are putting a strain on everybody's pocketbook, and that includes Church and charitable institutions.

But while organizations such as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul have had to make some changes in their trucking operations, neither the society nor local parishes or other institutions are finding volunteers any less willing to fulfill their commitments.

"We rely on our trucks to pick up donated furniture, clothing and household goods, and we've put a hold on furniture pickups in July and August," says William Brazier, executive director of the SSVdP-Detroit.

James Mosley, operations director of the society's thrift stores, says diesel fuel at about $4.70 a gallon means it now costs $300 to fill the tank of one of the trucks it uses to make pick-ups and deliveries.

Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic James Mosley, operations director for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, gases up one of the society's trucks. With diesel at about $4.70 a gallon, that makes for a $300 fill-up.

"We use computer programs to plan our routes, and then take a look at them to see if there is anything the computer missed to make them more economical," he says.

If somebody is moving and wants to donate an entire house full of furniture, Mosley says they will still pick that up, "but with our trucks only getting four to seven miles per gallon, it just isn't good stewardship of our resources to go pick up a dresser."

And whether it is high gas prices or just Michigan's economic malaise, Brazier says sales in SSVdP thrift stores are down 20 percent since December. "We depend on someone buying a couch in one of our thrift stores to enable us to give a couch to someone else who can't afford it," he says.

But Brazier says the individual Vicentians who do the society's work of making home visits to those in need are "bearing up" under the increased gasoline prices and maintaining the society's service to the poor.

Besides saving money where it can, Brazier says there is not much else the society can do to counteract of high gas prices. "We're going to continue to rely on the generosity of Catholics to support us, and do the best we can to be good stewards of what is given to us," he says.

Among the local charities whose activities consume plenty of gasoline is Macomb County Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, which includes a number of Catholic parishes among its active supporters. Perhaps best known for providing rides to doctor's appointments for senior citizens and people with disabilities, MCIVC volunteers for the most part bear the cost of gasoline themselves.

"I do worry about it. Our volunteers are very generous, giving people, but it has to affect them," says Connie Teschler, the organization's volunteer coordinator.

"We do have mileage reimbursement, at 25 cents per mile, but over the years, our volunteers have typically chosen not to take the reimbursement," she continues.

The reimbursement, available through a grant from the SMART suburban transportation authority, only covers the provision of giving someone a ride, and not for other activities, such as driving to a senior's residence to do chores or home repairs.

Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, right, a Catholic, with Capt. Douglas Molinar, has asked officers to cut idling while on patrol in an effort to save gasoline and reduce costs.

"I think some people are planning their trips more carefully, and we are seeing some more people accept the mileage reimbursement, but we would rather see more of them take it, because we are receiving more requests for rides," Teschler adds. Of course, high gas prices are also affecting public sector entities that provide essential services. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, a member of Holy Name Parish, Birmingham, said the rising cost of gasoline has increased his department's annual expenditures on gas by $800,000 to keep 100 cars on the road at any given time. "That's having a very dramatic effect on our budget," he said, and adding to the problem is that his budget is already shrinking as the result of state-wide cuts.

Even if he were to put more deputies on motorcycles or bicycles to save gas, cars still need to be on the road to reach the more rural areas of the county — and if an officer has to make an arrest, a bike won't be much help getting the perpetrator back to the station, he pointed out.

"We have to be in a car to get places," he said — and sometimes, they have to be in a car to save lives. There are a number of things he can do to try to offset the costs — such as reducing idling in patrol cars — but gasoline costs can't be offset fully, since he still has to have cars on the road. "We're doing everything we can," he said. "It continues to be an increasing challenge."

Checking around the six counties that make up the Archdiocese of Detroit, various parishes, institutions and secular organizations provide a broad view of the situation:

• St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, besides being active with the MCIVC, also has one of the largest programs of visiting the sick and homebound of any parish in the archdiocese. Sr. Theresa Tenbusch, IHM, who coordinates the program, says the only thing she has noticed among the 50 volunteers who visit 100 sick or homebound parishioners every week is "if they are going to three places, they plan all three as one trip." But there has been no cutback in the program: "We want all these people to stay connected to the parish." 
   
• Roy Hoelscher, volunteer coordinator for the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit, which draws many volunteers from the suburbs, says, "I'm not aware of anyone not coming to volunteer because of high gas prices." And those who come to the two eastside soup kitchens it operates typically walk or ride the bus, he continues. "I've been here 40 years, and its my experience that when the Detroit area struggles, people step up nd help. I think that says something positive about the Detroit area," Hoelscher adds.
   
• At SS. Peter & Paul Parish in North Branch, Fr. Rich Treml says he counts himself lucky that the other members the cluster – St. Mary Burnside Parish in North Branch and St. Patrick Mission in Clifford – are relatively close. But Fr. Treml says he hears a lot about the high cost of gas from parishioners who drive long distances to work in Dearborn, Warren, Flint or Lake Orion. "One fellow told me recently he regrets not taking an early buyout, because it's costing him $550 a month to go to work and back." But Fr. Treml adds that he hopes the high prices will help boost attendance at the cluster's festival, the weekend of Aug. 22-24 in North Branch, as more people in the area choose to attend the local event instead of going elsewhere for their weekend entertainment. 
   

• Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic A statue of Christ stands near the entrance of Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township. Higher gas prices means higher grounds maintenance costs for cemeteries.

  At Most Holy Redeemer Parish in southwest Detroit, Msgr. Donald Hanchon said the only thing he can cite is that a number of parishioners have said they are opting for picnics in local parks instead of taking trips "up north" this summer.
   
• Mercy Sr. Mary Korb, director of cemeteries for the archdiocese, says the cost of maintaining the grounds at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield have gone up as of the beginning of July, when the grounds maintenance company added a 2-percent surcharge to cover fuel costs. "It's an additional expense, of course, but to be expected," she says.
   
• Fr. Charles Morris, pastor of St. Elizabeth Parish and administrator of St. Patrick Parish, both in Wyandotte, and founder and director of Michigan Interfaith Power & Light, suggested parishes and institutions offset the higher cost of gasoline by reducing the energy costs they can control. He recommends getting an energy audit done, as natural gas costs are rising along with gasoline.
  
  Although many people think they can only save significantly with expensive replacement of boilers and windows, even weather stripping, caulking and insulating the attic can save 10 percent of energy costs, he explains. "You can significantly reduce (your consumption) without a lot of effort," Fr. Morris says. "The days of cheap energy are over," he adds, and recommends checking out the tips to be found at www.miipl.org.

— Michigan Catholic reporter Kristin Lukowski contributed to this story.