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

