Gas prices across Metro Detroit are climbing well above $4 a gallon, and the pain at the pump is spreading far beyond commuters — it’s now threatening the operations of a Westland-area charity that feeds families in need.
At a Mobil gas station on Cherry Hill and Middle Belt in Garden City, the average fill-up has dropped to just $20 as drivers stretch every dollar.
“I just got a few dollars to pay, that’s what I got, $4 right now,” said Daniel McLean, a Garden City resident.
Many drivers say they’re only putting in what they absolutely need to get by.
“We know that as an adult, you got a car you have to pay to put gas in it, but five dollars for one gallon, that’s a bit much,” said Pilar May, a Taylor resident.
High prices hit those who drive for work — not just to work
From daily commuters to those whose jobs depend on driving, high gas prices are reshaping routines and squeezing already tight budgets. For Elizabeth Freeman, owner of Elmwood Blessing Box in Westland, the financial pressure is forcing conversations no one at the nonprofit wants to have.
“We’re probably going to have to cut out some of our further away pickups just because we’re not going to be able to afford to put gas in the vehicles to pick them up,” Freeman said.
Cutting those routes would also mean cutting fresh food from pantry shelves. Elmwood Blessing Box volunteers currently travel as far as West Bloomfield, Ann Arbor and Novi to collect donated food.
Freeman confirmed the fuel costs are coming directly out of her own pocket.
“Yeah. Yeah. It’s cutting in quite a bit,” she said.
How high could prices go?
GasBuddy reports Michigan could see gas prices spike by as much as 65 cents a gallon this week.
“I may as well get the bike out and start peddling. That will save on gas, you know,” McLean joked.
How to donate to Elmwood Blessing Box
Elmwood Blessing Box accepts donations through its website at elmwoodblessingbox.org.