Sept. 25, 2008

Gasoline shortages prompted Friendship Trays to adjust deliveries today. As developments occur, more adjustments may be made.

Staff and volunteers called recipients on a number of routes early Thursday morning, asking if they had enough food to last until Monday. Based on individual recipients' situations, deliveries on some of Friendship Trays' 87 routes were suspended for Thursday. Some routes were combined with nearby routes. All recipients who needed food received a meal.

Volunteer drivers either served their routes as usual, adjusted to a combined route, or were notified that they would not be needed Thursday and should save gas -- if they had any.

Recipients receiving food Thursday received two chilled meals, one for Thursday and the other to be refrigerated until Friday. The extra meals were prepared Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning as a precaution as news media became filled with reports of closed gas stations and long lines at the stations that still had gas.

Friday deliveries have been suspended, except for emergency cases.

Most Friendship Trays recipients receive meals Monday through Friday. A couple of dozen people needing weekend meals regularly receive three chilled meals on Friday. Most of those recipients were contacted Thursday and said they would be OK through the weekend without deliveries.

The office of N.C. Gov. Mike Easley said Thursday that tanker trucks were on their way to Western North Carolina, including Charlotte, with fresh supplies. Those supplies may end Thursday's gasoline lines, but may not solve the longer-term supply problems that began after Hurricane Ike pummeled the Texas Gulf coast and refinery output was interrupted.

Friendship Trays Executive Director Lucy Bush Carter thanked all recipients and volunteers for their flexibility. She noted that conversion to chilled meals last spring allowed Friendship Trays to respond more nimbly in this delivery crisis.

"Hot meals had to be eaten immediately. Chilled meals will be safe through the weekend. We are grateful every day that donors made it possible for us to make that change. But today it was a true blessing."