TYLER — Meals on Wheels East Texas says with nearly 8,000 seniors living in poverty here in East Texas, gas hikes are affecting the group in a big way.

Paid drivers as well as volunteer drivers are how Meals on Wheels delivers thousands of trays of food every weekday to seniors in need.

Executive Director Mike Powell says the current gas situation could cost the group at least $25,000 more just to fuel their vehicles.

...and it's not just the gas itself that's causing a problem.

"The tray we use to send out our meals everyday is plastic.  So it's a petroleum product.  It's sealed with a plastic coating, so that's a petroleum product.  We use coolers to deliver our meals in - that's a petroleum product, so all of those items are items that are going to be affected in the long term," Powell said.

Meals on Wheels says they will soon have a "Gas Card Friday" so East Texans can donate to help with fuel costs.

Click here to visit the Meals on Wheels East Texas website.