Monday, Mar 21 2011 6:05PM
The growing cost of food and gas is making it difficult for some families in rural areas to buy basic items.
The skyrocketing cost of food and fuel is making it difficult for those residing in rural communities to receive the most basic necessities, according to the Associated Press.
Food prices have increased 4 percent in the last month, the highest jump in 36 years. Combined with the cost of gas —the national average is $3.57 per gallon— it can be a major financial drain for families in outlying areas who live far from basic amenities.
Jackie Merenz, a resident of Helena, Montana, told the news source she must take a 60-mile round trip journey to buy groceries twice a week. Her husband was injured and is unable to work, making it difficult to support their three children— even though they already receive
housing assistance, Medicaid and food stamps.
Another woman, 49-year-old Myriam Garcia, who lives in a rural area near Craig, Montana, told the source that rising gas prices have required her to limit her electricity use, which she receives from a generator, to three hours a day. During the winter, she tries to get house-sitting jobs to stay comfortable while having enough money to eat.
According to a 2009 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 2.3 million American households live more than a mile away from a supermarket and don't have access to a vehicle, making it incredibly difficult for some people to obtain nutritious food.