Volunteer Drivers Absorb Rising Gas Prices to Deliver Meals in Tucson

Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona relies on volunteers to deliver 90,000 meals annually, but higher fuel costs are impacting their efforts.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 12:20am

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of an insulated meal delivery bag repeated in a tight grid pattern, conceptually representing the dedication of volunteer drivers who are willing to pay more at the pump to support their community.Volunteer drivers for Tucson's Mobile Meals non-profit are absorbing higher gas prices to ensure vulnerable residents continue receiving essential meal deliveries.Tucson Today

High gas prices in Arizona are impacting volunteer drivers for Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona, a non-profit that delivers meals to people who cannot leave their homes. However, some volunteers say they are willing to pay more at the pump to support their community. The organization is actively searching for more volunteers ahead of the summer months when they typically lose about a quarter of their drivers.

Why it matters

Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona plays a vital role in supporting vulnerable residents who cannot leave their homes, providing not just meals but also wellness checks. As gas prices rise, the non-profit faces challenges in maintaining its volunteer driver network, which is crucial to delivering tens of thousands of meals each year across the Tucson area.

The details

Volunteer driver Art Evans says he has seen his gas costs rise dramatically, with a recent fill-up costing $50. However, Evans says he is happy to absorb the extra expense to continue supporting the Mobile Meals mission. The organization relies on 200 volunteers who drove over 160,000 miles to deliver 90,000 meals last year. As gas prices remain high in Arizona compared to the national average, Mobile Meals CEO L'Don Sawyer says volunteers are more cautious about taking on longer delivery routes, and the non-profit is concerned about potentially losing more drivers during the hotter summer months.

  • Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona typically loses about a quarter of its volunteers during the summer months.
  • According to AAA, Arizona's average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is about $4.70, compared to the national average of $4.12.

The players

Art Evans

A 15-year volunteer driver for Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona who is willing to absorb higher gas costs to continue supporting the organization's mission.

L'Don Sawyer

The CEO of Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona, who is concerned about the non-profit's ability to maintain its volunteer driver network as gas prices remain high.

Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona

A non-profit organization that delivers meals to people who cannot leave their homes in the Tucson area, relying on a network of 200 volunteer drivers.

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What they’re saying

“I filled up the other day, it was $50 for my tank, and I've never seen it that much.”

— Art Evans, Volunteer Driver

“I'm fortunate enough to have the resources to do it, and I can't think of anything better that I would want to spend a little extra money on. If I had to spend a little extra money, I would just--I would assume to spend it driving for Mobile Meals.”

— Art Evans, Volunteer Driver

“We have 200 volunteers delivering 90,000 meals, so that equaled over 160,000 miles.”

— L'Don Sawyer, CEO, Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona

“People are thinking before they take on that route, that may be 50 miles round trip, whereas before calling people and having them do that was not a real problem.”

— L'Don Sawyer, CEO, Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona

“We are concerned going forward that as people look to volunteer assignments that may work for them, that they will be thinking about the amount of miles they will be driving and what that would cost.”

— L'Don Sawyer, CEO, Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona

What’s next

Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona is actively searching for new volunteers to help maintain its delivery network ahead of the summer months when they typically lose about a quarter of their drivers.

The takeaway

This story highlights the dedication of volunteer drivers who are willing to absorb higher gas costs to continue supporting vulnerable residents in their community, but also the challenges non-profit organizations like Mobile Meals face in maintaining their volunteer networks as fuel prices rise.