Higher gas and diesel prices are squeezing Lansing-area household budgets and raising costs for the Greater Lansing Food Bank. Food bank officials told WKAR that fuel-price spikes can leave families with less money for groceries and increase demand for food assistance.
Regular gasoline in Lansing hit $4.95 a gallon on Sept. 21, among the highest averages in Michigan, according to AAA Michigan. The statewide average reached $4.93, up $1.75 from a year earlier. By Oct. 2, AAA's live tracker showed the statewide average at about $4.50 and the Lansing-East Lansing average at about $4.46. Michigan's statewide average was about $3.17 a gallon a year earlier.
Food bank officials say the squeeze hits from both sides: higher fuel costs can leave families with less money for food, while the food bank's delivery trucks also run on diesel. Diesel reached a record $6.89 a gallon in Michigan on Sept. 23, according to AAA. As of Oct. 2, the statewide diesel average was about $6.66, compared with about $3.75 a year earlier, according to AAA's fuel-price tracker.
Kelly Miller, chief development officer for the Greater Lansing Food Bank, said costs are climbing across the board for families. "Families budget a certain amount for gas. And when that gets all the way used up, there is less money that goes for food," Miller told WKAR in a report published Thursday, Oct. 1.
The food bank, based in Bath, serves a seven-county, 4,000-square-mile area covering Clare, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ingham, Isabella and Shiawassee counties. It works with more than 300 partner agencies, including food pantries and community kitchens, according to the Greater Lansing Food Bank.
Katlyn Cardoso, the food bank's director of communications and brand strategy, told WKAR the demand spike from a gas price jump can be delayed as families adjust their budgets. The food bank also faces higher diesel costs for its trucks, she said.
The pressure extends beyond Lansing. Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank reported in April that it was spending about $7,000 more per month on diesel than planned, according to its president and CEO, Ken Estelle, as reported by Michigan Public.
Demand at the Greater Lansing Food Bank was already climbing before the September gas price spike. In August, Cardoso told WILX the food bank had seen a 7.9% increase in the number of people visiting a mobile pantry or one of its 300-plus partner locations over the course of 2026. WILX reported the increase amid federal SNAP eligibility changes and a national decline of more than 5 million SNAP enrollees over the previous year.
Meanwhile, the Michigan Senate on Oct. 1 did not hold a vote on a proposed 90-day suspension of the state's 52.4-cent-per-gallon gas tax, the Detroit News reported.
Residents who need food assistance can visit one of the food bank's upcoming mobile distributions in Ingham County. No identification is required.
- Saturday, Oct. 3, 9 a.m., Immanuel Community Reformed Church, 3200 Delta River Drive, Lansing
- Wednesday, Oct. 7, 5:30 p.m., Tabernacle of David Church, 2645 W. Holmes Road, Lansing
- Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 a.m., Restoration Life Church, 5455 Willoughby Road, Lansing
- Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m., Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 549 E. Mt. Hope, Lansing
- Thursday, Oct. 22, 4 p.m., University Lutheran Church, 1020 S. Harrison Road, East Lansing
The full schedule is available at greaterlansingfoodbank.org or by calling (517) 449-0360.
