18 | JULY 21 • 2022
OUR COMMUNITY
F
rom gas to groceries,
inflation is evident in the
high cost of many goods
and services. In June, the most
recent month available for fed-
eral data, the annual inflation
rate was 9.1%. Gas prices were
up 48.7% on a year-to-year
basis but had dropped to an
average cost of $4.79 per gallon
on July 11 in Michigan (up
from $3.17 a year ago).
Fortunately, gas prices have
begun to decline; however,
living costs are likely to remain
high.
For local Jewish service
agencies, inflation is affecting
operating costs and presenting
challenges for some of their
employees and clients.
“The increase in the cost
of gasoline and inflation, in
general, is absolutely having
an impact on the costs of JFS
doing business,” says Perry
Ohren, chief executive officer
of Jewish Family Service. “This
coupled with all the other
uncertainties and
stresses is all very
troubling.”
According to
Dini Peterson,
chief program
officer for Family
and Community
Services at JFS, “Jewish Family
Service, which provides over
$900,000 in emergency finan-
cial assistance each year, has
observed the
direct impact
inflation has had
on community
members. For
vulnerable families
who already strug-
gled with cover-
ing household expenses, the
impact of inflation has drained
their resources completely.
“
And for families who typi-
cally can cover their bills, they
now are faced with the struggle
to buy groceries or put gas in
their car. In response, JFS has
expanded some of its financial
assistance offerings and con-
tinues to explore resources to
support community members,”
she adds.
JARC and Yad Ezra are
experiencing increased costs
that require special steps to
maintain client services. Yad
Ezra provides kosher food to
1,100 local families monthly.
“Inflation has affected us across
the board with a 20% increase
for food,” says Daniella HarPaz
Mechnikov, Yad Ezra’s execu-
tive director.
“It is slowly
bringing more
people here,” she
adds.
Yad Ezra allo-
cates points based
on family size for
its clients to use
when selecting food, which
is provided at no charge.
Mechnikov says that they are
considering adjustment of the
point allocation amounts.
Prices are high, but Jewish
agencies continue to serve.
Inflation
Challenges
SHARI S. COHEN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Perry
Ohren
Dini
Peterson
Daniella
HarPaz
Mechnikov