LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Rising fuel costs are hampering a Southern Nevada food bank’s efforts to serve the local community.
Three Square officials say monthly fleet fuel costs have more than doubled, jumping from about $16,000 to roughly $34,000, driven by a 73% spike in diesel prices over the past year. They note that every extra dollar spent on fuel means one less going for food deliveries.
Beyond surging transport costs for rescued food and produce, officials say running refrigerated trailers non-stop to keep items fresh is driving storage expenses even higher.
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“Rising fuel prices are putting added pressure on food banks like Three Square,” said Beth Martino, President and CEO of Three Square Food Bank.
“Fuel is essential to every step of our work, from bringing food into our warehouse to delivering it throughout our community. Even generously donated food comes with significant transportation and storage costs, which continue to rise. At a time when more Southern Nevadans are turning to us for help, every additional dollar spent on fuel makes it more challenging to meet the growing need.”
In fiscal year 2026, Three Square says they distributed 58 million pounds of food, including 32 million pounds donated and 23 million pounds of rescued farm produce.
While food rescue prevents waste and keeps acquisition costs down, soaring fuel and freight prices are driving up the cost of transporting and storing it, they say.
Despite the difficulty, Three Square officials urge residents to look out for their neighbors, given food insecurity is not always visible.
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